Modifikation von Nahrungspräferenzen durch Post-hypnotische Instruktionen: Effektivität, Persistent, und Neurone Mechanismen

Taste preference is a pivotal factor in food choice and weight regulation. In a previous study we were able to demonstrate that post-hypnotic suggestions (PHS), targeting preference for low-calorie food, significantly changed the brain response towards pictures of these food items relative to high-calorie food. The current proposal intends to replicate and extend these findings in a group of 30 normal-weight and medium/high hypnotizable participants; main novelties of this study are (1) assessment of the persistence of PHS effect over one week without renewed hypnosis and (2) testing behavioral effectiveness of PHS in a real life-like situation with a simulated shopping scenario. Notably, by means of analyzing event-related brain potentials we will address the neural mechanisms of altered food preferences. If successful, the present approach has the potential to be implemented in a weight-regulation program.