Dieting Restraint and Food Deprivation Effects on Delay Discounting for Food

Abstract

Previous literature has found alternative results for how deprivation affects self-control and delay discounting. Self-control is defined as the choice of waiting a longer time for a larger reward, versus impulsivity, or, waiting a shorter time for a smaller reward. The current study manipulated deprivation using soup preload and no soup preload conditions. These conditions were analyzed to determine their effects on measures of hypothetical delay discounting for food and measures of inhibition and suppression. Other variables that were measured and analyzed include: participant’s dieting status (which can also be defined as caloric restriction, or dietary restraint), and body mass index (BMI). It was hypothesized that dieting status will interact with deprivation levels and therefore affect performance on delay discounting food tasks and a parametric go no/go task. Results from the study found significant effects of deprivation status, but no significant effects of dieting status or interactions between the two. An additional exploratory hypothesis was to determine how BMI and other eating behaviors are related to these results. BMI and other eating behaviors yielded no significant effects on delay discounting k values or suppression and mean reaction times. Implications of the proposed research could increase the scientific knowledge in how food choices are made, and how these choices contribute to unhealthy weight conditions and how we can improve methods and treatment for these maladaptive eating behaviors.