Mapping sign-tracking and goal-tracking onto human behaviors.

As evidenced through classic Pavlovian learning mechanisms, environmental cues can become incentivized and influence behavior. These stimulus-outcome associations are relevant in everyday life but may be particularly important for the development of impulse control disorders including addiction. Rodent studies have elucidated specific learning profiles termed 'sign-tracking' and 'goal-tracking' which map onto individual differences in impulsivity and other behaviors associated with impulse control disorders' etiology, course, and relapse.

Development and preliminary validation of the Anticipated Effects of Food Scale.

Expectancy theory has been widely applied in substance use research but has received less attention in eating behavior research. Measuring food expectancies, or the anticipated outcomes of eating specific foods, holds theoretical and practical promise for investigations into nonhomeostatic eating behavior. The current study developed and assessed the psychometric properties of a novel measure of positively and negatively valenced highly (e.

Food craving as a mediator between addictive-like eating and problematic eating outcomes.

Background: There is growing interest and debate about whether an addictive process contributes to problematic eating outcomes, such as obesity. Craving is a core component of addiction, but there has been little research on the relationship between addictive-like eating, craving, and eating-related concerns. In the current study, we examine the effect of both overall food craving and craving for different types of food on the relationship between addictive-like eating symptoms and elevated body mass index (BMI) and binge eating episodes.

Current considerations regarding food addiction.

"Food addiction" is an emerging area, and behavioral and biological overlaps have been observed between eating and addictive disorders. Potential misconceptions about applying an addiction framework to problematic eating behavior may inhibit scientific progress. Critiques of "food addiction" that focus on descriptive differences between overeating and illicit drugs are similar to early criticisms of the addictiveness of tobacco.