Premium
Impaired cognitive processing in dieters: Failure of attention focus or resource capacity limitation?
Author(s) -
Green Michael W.,
Elliman Nicola A.,
Rogers Peter J.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
british journal of health psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.05
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 2044-8287
pISSN - 1359-107X
DOI - 10.1111/j.2044-8287.1997.tb00540.x
Subject(s) - dieting , psychology , working memory , cognition , effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance , cognitive load , developmental psychology , obesity , weight loss , medicine , psychiatry
Objectives . The current study investigated the fundamental nature of the cognitive processing deficit associated with spontaneous dieting behaviour. Design . In a between‐subjects design, dieters and non‐dieters performed a number of cognitive performance tasks designed to test the competing hypotheses that the deficit in performance previously observed in dieters is due either to resource capacity limitation or to a failure to maintain attentional focus. Methods . Current dieters ( N = 21), non‐dieting restrained eaters ( N = 20) and non‐dieting low‐to‐medium restrained eaters ( N = 28) completed measures of working memory span, attentional focus and motor speed. Participants also completed self‐report measures of dietary restraint, somatic sensation and affective state. Results . Dieters displayed a significantly smaller working memory span than non‐dieting participants with a similar level of dietary restraint, which covaried with their self‐rated ‘Desite to eat’. Conclusions . The cognitive impairments found to be associated with dieting behaviour result from a reduction in working memory processing capacity. It is suggested that this, in turn, results from task‐irrelevant cognitions concerning food preferentially consuming limited processing capacity.