A balance of activity in brain control and reward systems predicts self-regulatory outcomes.
Previous neuroimaging work has shown that increased reward-related activity following exposure to food cues is predictive of self-control failure. The balance model suggests that self-regulation failures result from an imbalance in reward and executive control mechanisms. However, an open question is whether the relative balance of activity in brain systems associated with executive control (vs reward) supports self-regulatory outcomes when people encounter tempting cues in daily life. Sixty-nine chronic dieters, a population known for frequent lapses in self-control, completed a food cue-reactivity task during an fMRI scanning session, followed by a weeklong sampling of daily eating behaviors via ecological momentary assessment. We related participants' food cue activity in brain systems associated with executive control and reward to real-world eating patterns. Specifically, a balance score representing the amount of activity in brain regions associated with self-regulatory control, relative to automatic reward-related activity, predicted dieters' control over their eating behavior during the following week. This balance measure may reflect individual self-control capacity and be useful for examining self-regulation success in other domains and populations.
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA.
Richard B
RB
Lopez
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA.
Pin-Hao A
PA
Chen
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA.
Jeremy F
JF
Huckins
Department of Psychology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Wilhelm
W
Hofmann
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA.
William M
WM
Kelley
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA.
Todd F
TF
Heatherton
D000293:Adolescent; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D003463:Cues; D004032:Diet / Q000523:psychology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005502:Food; D006801:Humans; D007206:Individuality; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D012201:Reward; D000068356:Self-Control; D055815:Young Adult
dieting; fMRI; individual differences; reward; self-control