title: A dual systems account of visual perception: Predicting candy consumption from distance estimates.
abstract: A substantial amount of evidence shows that visual perception is influenced by forces that control human actions, ranging from motivation to physiological potential. However, studies have not yet provided convincing evidence that perception itself is directly involved in everyday behaviors such as eating. We suggest that this issue can be resolved by employing the dual systems account of human behavior. We tested the link between perceived distance to candies and their consumption for participants who were tired or depleted (impulsive system), versus those who were not (reflective system). Perception predicted eating only when participants were tired (Experiment 1) or depleted (Experiments 2 and 3). In contrast, a rational determinant of behavior-eating restraint towards candies-predicted eating for non-depleted individuals (Experiment 2). Finally, Experiment 3 established that perceived distance was correlated with participants' self-reported motivation to consume candies. Overall, these findings suggest that the dynamics between perception and behavior depend on the interplay of the two behavioral systems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science, Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE, United Kingdom. Electronic address: d.krpan@lse.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Krpan
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Downing Street, Cambridge CB2 3EB, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schnall
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002182:Candy; D004215:Distance Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D004435:Eating / Q000523:psychology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D057566:Self Report; D014796:Visual Perception; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Dual-systems; Eating; Economy of action; Motivation; Perception