The effects of disordered eating, anger, and negative urgency on attentional bias and subsequent food cravings and food consumption

Attentional bias to food cues, negative affect, and negative urgency have all been linked to loss of control eating. However, few studies have examined the joint effects of cognitive bias, mood, and personality on food consumption. In the current study, 190 undergraduate women were randomly assigned to either an anger or neutral mood condition. Women in both conditions then completed the Food Stroop, in which the presentation of food and neutral words were counterbalanced. After the task, participants were exposed to bowls of mandarins and candy while the experimenter left the room. The type and quantity of food consumed was calculated after the participant departed. Contrary to hypotheses, increases in arousal and negative mood did not influence attentional bias to food cues. However, arousal, a food attentional bias, and negative urgency all had significant main effects on food consumption.