Delay of Gratification Predicts Eating in the Absence of Hunger in Preschool-Aged Children

Frontiers in Psychology

Nichole R. Kelly¹  Nicole R. Giuliani² 

[1] Department of Counseling Psychology and Human Services, Prevention Science Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, United States;Department of Special Education and Clinical Sciences, Prevention Science Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, United States;

关键词: self-regulation;    eating in the absence of hunger;    preschool;    taste test;    inhibitory control;    delay of gratification;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpsyg.2021.650046

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

Poor ability to regulate one's own food intake based on hunger cues may encourage children to eat beyond satiety, leading to increased risk of diet-related diseases. Self-regulation has multiple forms, yet no one has directly measured the degree to which different domains of self-regulation predict overeating in young children. The present study investigated how three domains of self-regulation (i.e., appetitive self-regulation, inhibitory control, and attentional control) predicted eating in the absence of hunger (EAH) in a community sample of 47 preschool-aged children (M age = 4.93, SD = 0.86). Appetitive self-regulation, as measured using a delay of gratification task, was significantly and negatively associated with EAH 1 year later (p < 0.5). Measures of inhibitory and attentional control did not significantly predict EAH. These results suggest that food-related self-regulation may be a better predictor of overeating behaviors than general measures of self-regulation.

【 授权许可】

CC BY