Universität zu Köln

Ruszpel, Borys (2019). Cognitive Processes in Acquiring Food Preferences: Evaluative Conditioning Studies with Food-Related Stimuli. PhD thesis, Universität zu Köln.

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Abstract

In this thesis, 1 we explored the potential of EC interventions with food-related stimuli to form and modify food preferences. The main research questions within this dissertation revolve around the role of memory in EC, the potential preparedness effect for smell-taste combinations and the hypothesized differential learning patterns between normal weight and obese participants in processing high-calorie palatable foods. In Chapter 2, we present evidence for the relevance of memory and the preparedness of smell-taste pairings in EC. In Experiment 1, we tested the role of memory in smell-taste EC. In Experiment 2, we investigated the role of memory more conclusively and tested for the presence of the preparedness of smell-taste combinations. The results show that both in Experiment 1 and in Experiment 2 we found EC effects only in the presence of memory. Furthermore, the results of Experiment 2 support the preparedness hypothesis for smell-taste pairings in EC. In Chapter 3, we tested the role of memory for food CS-US pairings and looked at the preparedness hypothesis for smell-taste combinations in an EC study with real foods as CSs. We measured EC effects in the explicit evaluative ratings and in food consumption of food CSs. The results showed no overall EC effects neither in the explicit evaluative ratings, nor in food consumption. Nonetheless, we found that participants consumed more of food CSs that had previously been paired with pleasant USs, but only when participants remembered CS-US pairings. Interestingly, for non-remembered pairings the pattern of the results was reversed. In Chapter 4, we investigated the hypothesized differences in learning effects between normal weight and obese participants in a computerized EC procedure with high-calorie and tasty-looking foods as CSs. We compared the magnitude of EC effects measured in the explicit evaluative ratings (Experiment 4, 5) and in the intention to consume food CSs (Experiment 4) between the two groups. We also looked at group differences in the accuracy at the guessing trials within the implemented EC paradigm. The results showed overall EC effects measured both in the explicit evaluative ratings and in the intention to consume foods. These learning effects were moderated by valence memory. We did not, however, find any evidence to support the hypothesized differences in the magnitude of learning effects between normal weight and obese individuals. Together, the research findings described in this dissertation make significant contribution to the existing body of knowledge on the role of memory in EC, especially in EC studies with food-related stimuli. We also provide first evidence for the preparedness of smells and tastes which has a yet to-be-explored applied value in the domain of forming food preferences.

Item Type:	Thesis (PhD thesis)
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Ruszpel, Borys borys.ruszpel@gmail.com UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-105868
Date:	2019
Language:	English
Faculty:	Faculty of Human Sciences
Divisions:	Ehemalige Fakultäten, Institute, Seminare > Erziehungswissenschaftliche Fakultät > Institut für Psychologie
Subjects:	Psychology
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language evaluative conditioning UNSPECIFIED preparedness UNSPECIFIED food preferences UNSPECIFIED contingency awareness UNSPECIFIED
Date of oral exam:	7 August 2019
Referee:	Name Academic Title Gast, Anne Dr. Unkelbach, Christian Univ.-Prof. Dr.
Refereed:	Yes
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/10586