Lecture 1 assignment
1. After having read the first deadly threat to self-regulation (cue exposure and impulse
control): How do tempting cues promote self-regulation failure? Give 3 reasons and give a
compelling example outside the dieting domain (e.g., sustainable behaviour, saving,
smoking, studying).
‘Recently, a number of studies have converged on the view that, under certain
circumstances, being exposed to tempting cues may actually activate self-regulatory
goals, thereby decreasing the likelihood of self-control failure’.
Example smoking out of the literature:
‘… if an individual has a history of regulating his or her behavior in the face of
temptation, such as a former smoker who routinely resist the urge to share a cigarette
when seeing a friend smoke, then exposure to the tempting item may activate self-
regulatory goals’.
• So, it activates memory/ schemes in the brain that triggers the behavior that
leads to a self-regulation failure.
• Seeing a friend smoke a cigarette can create a positive memory and thereby
increase the temptation to smoke a cigarette.
• Same applies for the smell of cigarette smoke. By smelling the smoke your
attention will be more/quickly focused on the cigarette
2. Why does negative mood trigger overeating in dieters compared to non-dieters
(discussed in the lecture)?
What happens when a negative mood trigger is been exposed to a dieter? Well, dieters
are trying to keep their eating behaviour under control. They are focused on what they
eat. This control is in the literature known as ‘cognitive control’ When they expose the
dieters on a negative mood trigger, the dieters get distracted and are therefore more
vulnerable to react by overeating. The dieters prefer a short-term reward, what results
in overeating, instead of thinking about the long-term reward which is losing weight.
From the lecture:
There are multiple negative emotions that can lead to overeating, for example:
Frustration, irritation, anxiety (progress is worse than what is needed). But also,
sadness, depression and despair can lead to overeating (when the process is more that
worse). These feelings can be triggered as a result to overeat.
3. Simple lapses can lead to disinhibition. Which statement is correct?
I. According to the 'abstinence violation effect' full-blown relapses become less likely when
the failure is due to internal attribution.
II. According to the 'abstinence violation effect' full-blown relapses become more likely
when the failure is due to external attribution.
a. Only statement I is correct
1. After having read the first deadly threat to self-regulation (cue exposure and impulse
control): How do tempting cues promote self-regulation failure? Give 3 reasons and give a
compelling example outside the dieting domain (e.g., sustainable behaviour, saving,
smoking, studying).
‘Recently, a number of studies have converged on the view that, under certain
circumstances, being exposed to tempting cues may actually activate self-regulatory
goals, thereby decreasing the likelihood of self-control failure’.
Example smoking out of the literature:
‘… if an individual has a history of regulating his or her behavior in the face of
temptation, such as a former smoker who routinely resist the urge to share a cigarette
when seeing a friend smoke, then exposure to the tempting item may activate self-
regulatory goals’.
• So, it activates memory/ schemes in the brain that triggers the behavior that
leads to a self-regulation failure.
• Seeing a friend smoke a cigarette can create a positive memory and thereby
increase the temptation to smoke a cigarette.
• Same applies for the smell of cigarette smoke. By smelling the smoke your
attention will be more/quickly focused on the cigarette
2. Why does negative mood trigger overeating in dieters compared to non-dieters
(discussed in the lecture)?
What happens when a negative mood trigger is been exposed to a dieter? Well, dieters
are trying to keep their eating behaviour under control. They are focused on what they
eat. This control is in the literature known as ‘cognitive control’ When they expose the
dieters on a negative mood trigger, the dieters get distracted and are therefore more
vulnerable to react by overeating. The dieters prefer a short-term reward, what results
in overeating, instead of thinking about the long-term reward which is losing weight.
From the lecture:
There are multiple negative emotions that can lead to overeating, for example:
Frustration, irritation, anxiety (progress is worse than what is needed). But also,
sadness, depression and despair can lead to overeating (when the process is more that
worse). These feelings can be triggered as a result to overeat.
3. Simple lapses can lead to disinhibition. Which statement is correct?
I. According to the 'abstinence violation effect' full-blown relapses become less likely when
the failure is due to internal attribution.
II. According to the 'abstinence violation effect' full-blown relapses become more likely
when the failure is due to external attribution.
a. Only statement I is correct
