Does hunger promote the detection of foods? The effect of value on inattentional blindness

Redlich, Dennis; Memmert, Daniel; Kreitz, Carina · 2022 · Crossref

DOI: 10.1007/s00426-021-01480-y

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Summary

This study investigates whether hunger increases the likelihood of detecting food-related stimuli during inattentional blindness, a phenomenon where observers fail to notice unexpected objects while engaged in a demanding task. While previous research indicated that evolutionarily relevant values (e.g., threat) or specific cravings (e.g., ice cream) can reduce inattentional blindness, it remained unclear if this effect generalizes to broader physiological states like hunger. The authors hypothesized that hunger would enhance the value of food stimuli, thereby increasing detection rates among hungry participants compared to satiated ones. To test this, 240 participants were randomly assigned to either a hungry condition (16 hours of fasting) or a satiated condition (normal eating). After completing questionnaires assessing food cravings and hunger levels, participants performed a static inattentional blindness task. The task required judging the length of cross arms while an unexpected stimulus (either a food item like chocolate, bread, or burger, or a non-food item like furniture) appeared briefly. Detection was measured in a critical trial where attention was divided, as well as in full-attention control trials. The study also examined individual differences, including sex and trait food cravings, as potential moderators. The results showed no significant difference in the detection rates of food stimuli between hungry and satiated participants. Statistical analyses, including chi-square tests and Bayesian inference, provided substantial evidence for the null hypothesis, indicating that hunger did not promote the detection of food objects. Similarly, hunger had no effect on the detection of non-food stimuli. Manipulation checks confirmed that the hungry group reported significantly higher hunger levels and longer fasting times than the satiated group, validating the experimental conditions. Exploratory analyses revealed that male participants generally detected food stimuli more often than females, regardless of hunger state, but this sex difference did not interact with the hunger manipulation. The findings suggest that the effect of value on inattentional blindness is not generalizable across all types of value. While specific, learned, or evolutionarily predetermined values can influence awareness, the physiological state of hunger alone was insufficient to alter the threshold of conscious detection for food stimuli. The authors speculate that different underlying mechanisms govern various types of value and that value manipulations must be sufficiently strong to impact attentional orienting. This study highlights the complexity of how motivational states interact with perceptual awareness, indicating that hunger does not automatically prioritize food-related inputs in visual processing when attention is otherwise engaged.

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• inattentional change blindness