Why giving up your favourite foods is diffiucult (Credits: iStock)
\n\nSaying no to your favourite chocolate, resisting a packet of chips or choosing a salad over a burger can feel surprisingly difficult, even when you know what is healthier and that you want to eat healthier. Sometimes, is not simply a question of willpower. The feelings and expectations we already associate with food may influence how readily we learn to think differently about it, according to new research from Yale University.
\n\nPublished in Communications Psychology on October 9, 2026, the study examined how existing food preferences affect people's ability to learn new associations when the outcomes linked to familiar foods change. Researchers analysed responses from 279 adults, finding that established preferences could make this learning process less flexible.
\n\nParticipants first rated 65 snack images according to how much they liked or disliked each item. Researchers then selected 4 foods for each participant, representing different levels of preference. The participants were asked to predict whether a computer programme would associate each food with a positive or negative point outcome. These outcomes changed throughout the experiment. Sometimes, foods people liked were associated with positive points and disliked foods with negative points. At…
Original source: https://www.timesnownews.com/lifestyle
