Cravings: A Narrative Analysis

In this article, cravings are analyzed as similar to an affective and psychological state by using the Process Model of Emotion Regulation. They cite that certain cognitive techniques can be used to down-regulate cravings. The first is Situation Selection. This involves avoiding a craving all together so in a weak moment, one does not succumb to the urge to engage. Another mentioned is Situation Modification in which a substitute food is used to combat the urge, or a serving container of a craved food is moved to the other end of the table to avoid reaching for more. Next is Attentional Deployment where the individual is trained to give their attention to something else when the craving was brought in front of them. The next approach is a cognitive …show more content…
The last is Response Modulation where the individual sits in front of their craved food and tries not to eat it by using willpower or distracting themselves. This method has mixed response, as do many of the others, because each brain responds more accurately to different stimuli and finding the one that works for individuals tends to work with how your brain responds to emotion. The conclusion is made that although food cravings are similar to for example, drugs, no one is born with the craving for cocaine. It is often attached to emotion, but cravings are intermingled with a reinforcement learning system that can allow them to become extinct, unlike emotions. This research supports that to achieve these goals individuals must identify situational, personal, and affective factors that influence cravings so that they can accurately combat the …show more content…
This study was done by taking two groups of rats and mice, one with a high fat intake and one with a low fat intake and they were agitated by rats of average calories intake after being housed with female rats and mice for three weeks. The study found that rats and mice with the higher poly-saturated fat intake were quicker to respond to the agitation and responded longer as well. By carrying out this study, it supported the notion that aggressiveness is influenced by both situational factors and biological factors, such as the increased circulation of estrogen levels that are brought on by increased fat intake. This study can aid human research to describe why a higher calorie intake, leading to a higher weight, can contribute to being a more aggressive