The primary objective of this study is to examine whether sociocultural pressures can activate the neural substrates of avoidance behaviour i.e. increased relative right frontal cortical activity. A secondary objective is to determine whether…
ID
Source
Brief title
Condition
- Other condition
Synonym
Health condition
Healthy females
Research involving
Sponsors and support
Intervention
Outcome measures
Primary outcome
Right frontal asymmetry should increase either because participants are
*thinspired* after being primed with the social rewards of thinness and/or
because participants *fear fatness* after being primed with the social
punishments associated with fatness.
Secondary outcome
We also expect that because people are in general more strongly influenced by
negative information than positive information, the negative fatness messages
should induce greater right frontal cortical activity than thinness messages
when females are faced with the high calorie food.
Background summary
A significant body of literature has linked western culture*s promotion of
thinness and stigmatisation of fatness with food restriction in females. This
study is an attempt to link sociocultural pressures to physiological changes in
brain state that are thought to theoretically underpin such eating behaviour.
In doing so, the findings of this study could provide an important insight into
dieting and disordered eating behaviour in females.
Study objective
The primary objective of this study is to examine whether sociocultural
pressures can activate the neural substrates of avoidance behaviour i.e.
increased relative right frontal cortical activity. A secondary objective is to
determine whether negative fatness messages have a greater impact upon right
relative frontal cortical activity than positive thinness messages.
Study design
Female participants (all right handed) will be randomly assigned to either a
thinness or a fatness comments condition. Resting EEG will be recorded for
eight minutes before being exposed to 10 sequences of 3 positive thinness
comments (or 3 negative fatness comments) followed by an image of a chocolate
food reward in which they indicate their preference for this reward. After the
experiment stimuli resting EEG will again be taken for a period of 8 minutes.
Study burden and risks
EEG experiments are not invasive. The nature of stimulation is similar to that
used regularly in body image research and results in a temporary mild
discomfort in healthy females. All participants will be debriefed about the
experiment.
2/1 Grote Kruisstraat
9712 TS
Nederland
2/1 Grote Kruisstraat
9712 TS
Nederland
Listed location countries
Age
Inclusion criteria
Between 18 and 40 years
Healthy right-handed females
Exclusion criteria
Females with a history of eating pathology (anorexia or bulimia) cannot participate in this experiment.
Females younger than 18 or older than 40 years.
Females presently engaged in a weight-loss diet.
Design
Recruitment
Followed up by the following (possibly more current) registration
No registrations found.
Other (possibly less up-to-date) registrations in this register
No registrations found.
In other registers
| Register | ID |
|---|---|
| CCMO | NL21239.042.07 |