title: Time Course of Visual Attention to High-Calorie Virtual Food in Individuals with Bulimic Tendencies.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to use an eye-tracking device to investigate attention bias and its mechanism toward high-calorie virtual food in individuals with bulimic tendencies (BT). A total of 76 participants were divided into two groups: a BT group (n = 38) and a control group (n = 38). The eye movements of all participants were continuously measured while the participants were confronted with pairs of high-calorie, low-calorie, and nonfood virtual stimuli (pictures). It was found that the BT group detected high-calorie food more quickly than they did the low-calorie food and nonfood stimuli, but they also avoided the high-calorie food. These results indicate that individuals with BT automatically allocate their attention toward high-calorie food and, subsequently, try to avoid it. Based on these results, we suggest that this approach-avoidance pattern for high-calorie virtual food could be a factor in the development and maintenance of bulimia symptoms by encouraging individuals with BT to be in conflict with the urge to overeat.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Chung-Ang University , Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jiwon
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Chung-Ang University , Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Kiho
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Chung-Ang University , Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Jang-Han
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D001362:Avoidance Learning; D002032:Bulimia / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D002149:Energy Intake; D005133:Eye Movements; D005260:Female; D005502:Food; D006801:Humans; D010775:Photic Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult