Evaluative conditioning of attitudes towards nutrition : a systematic review of research using food and body stimuli

Kurzfassung/Abstract

This systematic review examined studies investigating evaluative conditioning (EC) effects using food stimulias conditioned stimuli (CS) and body silhouettes as unconditioned stimuli (US). Following PRISMA guidelines, 162records were identified, of which three studies met the inclusion criteria and were included in the final analysis ofmethodological characteristics and outcomes. The review focused on technical elements (stimulus types, presentationparameters, trial numbers) and functional properties (conditioning effects, extinction patterns) of EC procedures.Analysis revealed consistent evidence for successful conditioning effects, particularly when pairing food images withobese body shapes, resulting in decreased CS ratings post-conditioning (effect sizes ranging from r = .26 to .41).However, studies exhibited considerable methodological heterogeneity in stimulus presentation times (400-7000ms),trial numbers (18-144), and measurement approaches. Key procedural variations included gender representation in USstimuli, CS categorization (single items vs. food categories), and assessment methods (explicit ratings vs. implicitmeasures). The findings highlight the need for greater methodological standardization in EC research using food-bodyassociations, while suggesting EC's potential utility in modifying food-related attitudes. Future research directionsshould address gender balance in sampling, standardization of stimulus sources, and investigation of potential mediatingmechanisms. The results point to potential relevance for nutrition education and public health contexts, while alsounderscoring the importance of further research on the effectiveness, stability, and ethical implications of suchapplications. (PDF) Evaluative conditioning of attitudes towards nutrition: a systematic review of research using food and body stimuli.