The impact of food stimuli and fasting on cognitive control in task switching

Maydych, V.; Pöschel, Hanna; Kübler, Sebastian; Schubert, Torsten · 2023 · OpenAlex-citations

DOI: 10.1007/s00426-023-01884-y

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Summary

This study investigates how motivational-affective stimuli and physiological states influence cognitive control during task switching. While previous research has largely focused on monetary rewards or stable emotional stimuli, this work addresses the gap regarding transient motivational states, specifically hunger, and their interaction with food-related cues. The authors aimed to determine if switching to a task involving food stimuli is facilitated compared to a neutral task, and whether this effect is amplified in hungry individuals or those with restrictive eating tendencies. The experimental design involved 110 participants divided into fasting (14-hour fast) and control groups. Participants performed two tasks: categorizing food images as sweet or savory, and categorizing digits as odd or even. These tasks were embedded in two paradigms: alternating runs (externally cued, predictable sequence) and voluntary task switching (self-selected order). Stimuli were presented as compound images with digits overlaid on food backgrounds. Individual differences in eating behavior were assessed using the Nine Item Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder Screen (NIAS). The primary dependent variables were reaction times (RTs) and error rates, from which switch costs were calculated. Results indicated that switch costs were significantly lower for the food task compared to the digit task in both paradigms and both groups, supporting the hypothesis that food stimuli facilitate task-set activation. However, the predicted modulation by hunger was limited. While fasting participants reported significantly higher hunger levels, the main effect of fasting on switch costs was only significant for the digit task in the alternating runs paradigm, where fasting led to higher switch costs. In voluntary task switching, fasting did not significantly alter switch costs. Furthermore, individual differences in restrictive eating showed a negative but non-significant relationship with switch costs. Error rates were generally higher for the digit task and in switch trials, but the pattern mirrored the RT findings without significant interactions with the fasting condition. The findings demonstrate that motivational-affective content, such as food stimuli, impacts cognitive control by facilitating switching to the associated task, likely due to automatic approach tendencies and stronger task-set activation. However, the transient motivational state of hunger did not robustly modulate these effects as hypothesized, suggesting that the impact of physiological need on cognitive control may be more complex or context-dependent than previously assumed. The study highlights the importance of considering emotional and motivational contexts in task-switching research, though it notes the need for replication to clarify the specific role of hunger in modulating cognitive flexibility.

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Topics

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• task switching
• executive function