title: Expression of executive control in situational context: Effects of facilitating versus restraining cues on snack food consumption.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the effects of executive function (EF) on objectively measured high-calorie snack food consumption in 2 age groups and to explore the moderating influence of environmental cues.
  
  
  METHODS
  In Study 1, 43 older adults (M(age) = 74.81) and in Study 2, 79 younger adults (M(age) = 18.71) completed measures of EF and subsequently participated in a bogus taste-test paradigm wherein they were required to rate 3 highly appetitive (but high-calorie) snack foods on taste and texture. Grams of snack food consumed was measured covertly in the presence randomly assigned contextual cues (explicit semantic cues in Study 1; implicit visual cues in Study 2) that were facilitating or restraining in nature.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Findings indicated that in both age groups, stronger EF predicted lower consumption of snack foods across conditions, and the effects of EF were most pronounced in the presence of facilitating cues.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Older and younger adults with weaker EF tend to consume more high-calorie snack food compared with their stronger EF counterparts. These tendencies appear to be especially amplified in the presence of facilitating cues.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, University of Waterloo.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, University of Waterloo.
authors.forename: Betty
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tran
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, University of Waterloo.
authors.forename: Cassandra
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lowe
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, University of Waterloo.
authors.forename: Corita
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vincent
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, University of Waterloo.
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mourtzakis
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, University of British Columbia.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Liu-Ambrose
authors.affiliation: School of Kinesiology, Western University.
authors.forename: Harry
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Prapavessis
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine & Pharmacy, Free University of Brussels (VUB).
authors.forename: Yori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gidron
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003463:Cues; D004435:Eating / Q000523:psychology*; D002149:Energy Intake / Q000502:physiology; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D062410:Snacks; D013649:Taste / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult