title: Cognitive control modulates attention to food cues: Support for the control readiness model of self-control.
abstract: Self-control in one's food choices often depends on the regulation of attention toward healthy choices and away from temptations. We tested whether selective attention to food cues can be modulated by a newly developed proactive self-control mechanism-control readiness-whereby control activated in one domain can facilitate control in another domain. In two studies, we elicited the activation of control using a color-naming Stroop task and tested its effect on attention to food cues in a subsequent, unrelated task. We found that control readiness modulates both overt attention, which involves shifts in eye gaze (Study 1), and covert attention, which involves shift in mental attention without shifting in eye gaze (Study 2). We further demonstrated that individuals for whom tempting food cues signal a self-control problem (operationalized by relatively higher BMI) were especially likely to benefit from control readiness. We discuss the theoretical contributions of the control readiness model and the implications of our findings for enhancing proactive self-control to overcome temptation in food choices.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 9190501, Israel. Electronic address: tali.kleiman@mail.huji.ac.il.
authors.forename: Tali
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kleiman
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, New York University, 6 Washington Place, New York, NY 10003, United States.
authors.forename: Yaacov
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Trope
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, New York University, 6 Washington Place, New York, NY 10003, United States.
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Amodio
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005502:Food; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D000068356:Self-Control; D057190:Stroop Test; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Cognitive control; Control readiness; Food cues; Selective attention