title: Attentional bias toward high-calorie food-cues and trait motor impulsivity interactively predict weight gain.
abstract: Strong bottom-up impulses and weak top-down control may interactively lead to overeating and, consequently, weight gain. In the present study, female university freshmen were tested at the start of the first semester and again at the start of the second semester. Attentional bias toward high- or low-calorie food-cues was assessed using a dot-probe paradigm and participants completed theBarratt Impulsiveness Scale. Attentional bias and motor impulsivity interactively predicted change in body mass index: motor impulsivity positively predicted weight gain only when participants showed an attentional bias toward high-calorie food-cues. Attentional and non-planning impulsivity were unrelated to weight change. Results support findings showing that weight gain is prospectively predicted by a combination of weak top-down control (i.e. high impulsivity) and strong bottom-up impulses (i.e. high automatic motivational drive toward high-calorie food stimuli). They also highlight the fact that only specific aspects of impulsivity are relevant in eating and weight regulation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Salzburg, Austria; Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, University of Salzburg, Austria.
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Meule
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychology, University of Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Platte
keywords: Barratt Impulsiveness Scale; attentional bias; body mass index; calorie content; dot probe; energy density; food-cues; impulsivity; prospective study; weight gain