title: Food Approach and Food Avoidance in Young Children: Relation with Reward Sensitivity and Punishment Sensitivity.
abstract: It has recently been suggested that individual differences in Reward Sensitivity and Punishment Sensitivity may determine how children respond to food. These temperamental traits reflect activity in two basic brain systems that respond to rewarding and punishing stimuli, respectively, with approach and avoidance. Via parent-report questionnaires, we investigate the associations of the general motivational temperamental traits Reward Sensitivity and Punishment Sensitivity with Food Approach and Food Avoidance in 98 preschool children. Consistent with the conceptualization of Reward Sensitivity in terms of approach behavior and Punishment Sensitivity in terms of avoidance behavior, Reward Sensitivity was positively related to Food Approach, while Punishment Sensitivity was positively related to Food Avoidance. Future research should integrate these perspectives (i.e., general temperamental traits Reward Sensitivity and Punishment Sensitivity, and Food Approach and Avoidance) to get a better understanding of eating behavior and related body weight.
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental, Personality and Social Psychology, Ghent University Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vandeweghe
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental, Personality and Social Psychology, Ghent University Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Leentje
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vervoort
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental, Personality and Social Psychology, Ghent University Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Verbeken
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental, Personality and Social Psychology, Ghent University Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Moens
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental, Personality and Social Psychology, Ghent University Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Braet
keywords: Eating behavior; Food Approach; Food Avoidance; Preschool children; Punishment Sensitivity; Reward Sensitivity