Satiation modulates attentional capture by food-related images but not food-brand logos

Abstract

In an obesogenic environment, individuals are frequently exposed to cues — such as images and smells — that signal the widespread availability of energy-dense, palatable foods. Through Pavlovian learning, these cues can predict the presence of food as a rewarding stimulus and motivate eating behavior, leading to excessive food consumption even when satiated. Several studies have investigated how food captures attention and how this effect can transfer to arbitrary stimuli artificially paired with food in the laboratory. This study examined whether environmental cues paired with food (logotypes) acquire the ability to bias attention and whether the motivational state of the subject modulates this effect. To this end, two experiments were conducted using reaction times to measure attentional capture. In Experiment 1, an odd-one-out task was used to measure attentional capture by food images and food-related logotypes when in a state of hunger. Consistent with prior findings, food images captured attention, and a similar bias was observed toward food-related logotypes. In Experiment 2, a satiation devaluation procedure — consisting of ad libitum food intake — was applied before the attentional task. The results show that attentional capture by food images disappeared after satiation, whereas the bias toward food-related logotypes persisted. These findings contribute to understanding how environmental food cues influence attentional processes and highlight their relevance to habitual eating behaviors, particularly in the absence of hunger.