Adherence
Attentional bias (AB) for food and drug stimuli is not a consistent, robust trait characteristic of obesity or addiction, nor does it reliably predict distal consummatory behavior or relapse.
Do not rely on attentional bias tests to predict who will relapse or gain weight in the long term. AB is a state, not a trait. It fluctuates with current hunger, craving, and motivational conflict (e.g., wanting to eat vs. wanting to lose weight). Interventions should focus on managing these momentary states and conflicts rather than assuming a person has a fixed 'biased' brain.
The available evidence reveals inconsistencies with the aforementioned claims. Specifically, AB is not consistently associated with individual differences in body weight or drug use, AB does not consistently predict or influence distal consummatory behavior...
Why this rating
Based on a critical review of multiple meta-analyses and prospective studies showing inconsistent or null results for distal prediction.
Source
The role of attentional bias in obesity and addiction.
Matt Field et al. · Health Psychology · 2016
DOI 10.1037/hea0000405
More from this paper
- Attentional bias for food and drug stimuli is driven by momentary motivational evaluations (appetitive, aversive, or ambivalent) rather than solely by appetitive desire.Good
- Attentional bias modification (ABM) training can causally influence subjective craving and consummatory behavior, particularly when delivered in multiple sessions and in naturalistic settings.Moderate
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This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →