Today’s blog post is a slightly different approach as I am focusing on the particularly interesting topic of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). This was a request from one of my subscribers who has this condition and wanted some tips to help her. I think it is important for all of us to be aware of how we can help ourselves or others with conditions like these.
What is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)?
Polycystic ovary syndrome is a common condition that affects how a women’s ovaries work. The NHS identifies there to be 3 main features of PCOS including:
- Irregular periods meaning your ovaries do not regularly release eggs
- Excess androgen meaning there are high levels of ‘male’ hormones which can lead to physical signs of excess facial and / or body hair
- Polycystic ovaries causing your ovaries to become enlarged and contain underdeveloped fluid-filled sacs (follicles) around the eggs. These sacs are often unable to release the egg and so ovulation does not take place.
If you have 2 or more symptoms you can be diagnosed with PCOS. PCOS affects about 1 in 10 women in the UK and although it is difficult to know the exact amount of women, it is a prevalent and very common condition. The exact cause of PCOS is unknown to doctors currently, but there is a general consensus that it can run in families.
What are the symptoms of PCOS?
The symptoms usually appear in your late teens or early 20s and they can include:
- Irregular or no periods
- Difficulty with getting pregnant as a result of failure / irregular ovulation
- Excessive hair growth – usually on face, chest, back or buttocks
- Weight gain
- Thinning hair and hair loss from the head
- Oily skin or acne
PCOS can also be related to development of health problems later on in life such as type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol.
For the remainder of the discussion I have chosen to focus on the symptom of being overweight. There are ways in which our food choices can combat this to an extent, and therefore avoid future health conditions as much as possible.
What causes PCOS weight issues?
PCOS can often cause abnormal hormone levels in the body including high insulin. In many cases women are insulin resistant resulting in them having a very high insulin level.
Being overweight or obese also increases the amount of insulin your body produces.
What is insulin and insulin resistant?
Insulin is a hormone that controls the sugar levels in the body. The role of insulin is to allow cells of the body to take in glucose and use them either as fuel or to store them as body fat.
If an individual’s body becomes resistant to insulin it will try to cope by producing more insulin. As a result it is possible that there can be a build-up of insulin levels in the blood. With the over production of insulin it is difficult to use it all as fuel, and it can lead to excess fat storage.
Insulin resistance can make it extremely hard to lose weight and many PCOS sufferers struggle with this.
However there are food choices that individuals can make that can help rather than hinder these PCOS symptoms.
What foods should I add to my diet?
Below I have created a diagram showing the types of foods that if added to insulin resistant diets can help with PCOS and weight. This is described as a low glycaemic index (GI) diet in which the body digests slower. As a result the insulin levels rise less and slower than they would otherwise.
What foods should I avoid from my diet?
In the next diagram I have listed some of the items to avoid. In general foods highly saturated in fat and sugar should be avoided. Obviously the reality is that it is impossible to completely remove them from your diet. It is important to remember that everything should be consumed in moderation and where you can reduce intake, try doing so.
I would like to say that I am not a dietitian or expert on what is the best alternatives. My understanding is that if you make switches like white bread to brown and milk chocolate to dark, these will definitely be helpful. I think it is important to eat alternatives rather than cut food out of your diet, and again remember eat everything in moderation!
The behavioural science behind this is much the same as my other articles relating to dieting. Training your System 1 & 2 can help immensely and remembering to focus on long term goals rather than short term gain.
Don’t fall for the marketing tricks, check your labels when you shop, and try to make more pro-active choices. Remember that having a growth mindset is just as important as making the initial choices. This mindset will help you keep in mind that you are in control of your food choices and you can change them in order to help yourself.
Check out my Indian Chickpeas with Poached Eggs recipe featured in the image below for a high fibre and anti-inflammatory meal!
I hope you enjoyed this slightly different post today. If you have any other topics like this you would like me to cover, feel free to leave it in the comments below. Alternatively, email me on email@behaviouralfoodie.co.uk
I love to hear from you!
Priming: The Greatest Persuader Of Our Vulnerable Subconscious
Have you ever been in a situation where you impulsively felt like making a purchase. So much so that you feel like your mind had already made that choice without you being consciously aware of it? The most likely reason is because you have been affected by priming.
What is priming?
Priming is defined as:
“A phenomenon whereby exposure to one stimulus influences a response to a subsequent stimulus, without conscious guidance or intention.”
In simple terms it means that an external factor in your environment has influenced your behaviour subconsciously, and as a result makes you consciously decide on certain choices or actions. This is a very powerful tools used in nearly all marketing campaigns, advertisement, etc. to influence your decisions.
Priming is very much based on associations that individuals create between words. Take the example below:
Bananas
Vomit
After reading these words, you experienced a level of discomfort and unpleasant memories. Your association of these words to previous situations evoke a strong emotional reaction in you. This all happens very quickly and with ease, despite these words just being ordinary and used as an example. The words together may have also given you a mental image of the bananas causing the vomit. Not the most appealing mental picture!
In another example:
If you have recently heard the words EAT, BREAD & JUICE and I ask you to fill in the blank for SO_P you are more likely to say SOUP.
But if you have recent heard the word WASH, WATER & SHAMPOO you are more likely to fill it in as SOAP. This is all using language priming resulting in an individual giving different answers.
Examples in the real world?
There are so many example of priming that affect on us on a daily basis. Have you ever wondered why they always put the flowers in the entrance of the supermarket?
Of course it’s very convenient for shoppers who are buying a loving / apologetic present. But also flowers are an easy way for supermarkets to prime your shopping experience. When you see flowers, you instantly have a range of feelings and associations that spring to mind. One of these being freshness. If you are primed with this, you are more likely to have a positive shopping experience and associate this feeling to the shop you are purchasing from.
Does priming affect everybody?
Yes! Priming can affect us from when we are extremely young to when we are much older. An example of this is an easy technique that almost all stores you have visited will use. By putting certain products at eye level for different consumers.
In the case of you as the adult, they may place items you may use for dinner, spices, fruit on your eye level so that your instant reaction is to buy those things. Furthermore, you will purchase more than you ever intended to. But for your children, they will place chocolates, cookies, cakes and anything a child would want at their eye level. As a result all consumers are primed to buy items that prior to entering the shop, they never even wanted or needed.
Is there a solution to priming?
I would love to say there is a solution, but unfortunately there isn’t. Priming is part of our daily lives and something we have to live with. But being aware of these behavioural stimuli can reduce the effectiveness of them on us as individuals. By doing so we are less susceptible to our subconscious influencing our conscious choices, and allow for more logical decision making.
That's all for now folks...
I hope you enjoyed this blog post. Please check out my other blog posts if you haven’t already! Leave your thoughts and comments below or via email@behaviouralfoodie.co.uk.
Check out my other Behavioural Science Posts:
Grit, Growth Mindset and Its Connection To Food Choices
What if I told you that you need to be able to fail, to be wrong and to start over again in order to succeed. What if you could change your mindset in order to create longevity in your successes using grit.
Read MoreGrowth Mindset, Grit and Its Connection To Food Choices
Grit And Growth Mindset
What if I told you that you need to be able to fail and be wrong in order to succeed. And if having a growth mindset could create longevity in your successes. Would you believe me?
I watched a recent TED talk by Angela Lee Duckworth where she talks about her various studies. She tries to understand which children and adults in different circumstances were more likely to be successful. She analysed a military academy in order to see who would finish their military training. In addition a spelling bee to see who would reign successful in the competition.
Her finding highlighted that that individuals that possessed grit were more likely to be successful.
What is Grit?
Grit is defined as:
“a positive, non-cognitive trait based on an individual’s perseverance of effort combined with the passion for a particular long-term goal or end state (a powerful motivation to achieve an objective)”
With this personality trait there is a focus on long term goal achievement rather than short term pleasure. Thus meaning these cadets and students had perseverance and passion to continue working. This was despite setbacks in order to achieve their long term goals. Consequently this was the deciding factor above all others, including socio-economic status, attractiveness, IQ, etc.
If you have read my other blog post Why can’t I stick to my diet, I discuss this as being due to System 1 and 2. The child in us (System 1) wants the immediate gratification. However, the adult in us (System 2) understands the logical benefit of delayed gratification.
With regards to many topics including food choices, exercise, leading a healthy lifestyle, etc. possessing grit is a fundamental. As a result we can continue down a desired path despite the obstacles we may encounter.
How do I get Grit?
I have had many friends and family come to me and tell me how they have fallen off the wagon with lockdown. Being healthy and exercising has not been possible, or at the front of their minds. After pondering over this, I wondered if grit had a part to play in this.
Despite the major setback the pandemic has caused, many of us would like to get back to where we were. By implementing grit we can move past these obstacles, and actively try to carry on making better choices.
Duckworth comments that the best way to achieve grit is by having a growth mindset.
What is a Growth Mindset?
Growth Mindset was first coined by Carol Dweck as a concept in which a persons mindset can affect their performance and achievements. She presented this in a number of studies and discusses the two mindsets a person can hold, a fixed vs growth mindset.
- Fixed mindset: The belief that ones abilities and intelligence are fixed and nothing can be done to change this. Either a person is smart, or they are not!
- Growth mindset: The belief that ones abilities and intelligence are malleable, and if you put in the effort and time you can develop them further. A person works hard to achieve something!
Growth Mindset vs Fixed Mindset
The image above shows a brief overview of some of the ways in which an individual with each mindset will react to a problem.
People can face problems with consequences that go beyond just food choices. For instance behaviour in the workplace, career choices, personal life choices, etc. I have listed some of the signs of each mindset below for comparison.
Mindset signs in an individual
Growth Mindset
- Their goal is to develop abilities over time.
- Embrace new and challenging tasks as opportunities to learn.
- More persistent and show high resilience when obstacles are ahead.
- Enjoy putting in the effort because the past has shown that it is worth working on something.
- Handle setbacks in a constructive way.
- More likely to develop new strategies, and try everything they can to succeed.
Fixed Mindset
- Their goal is to always look smart to others.
- Avoid new challenges and miss opportunities to learn from mistakes.
- Stop trying sooner and show less resilience when obstacles are detected.
- Don’t bother putting in effort, they believe you either have it in you or you don’t.
- Have problems with setbacks and attribute this to a lack of intelligence.
- More likely to lie about obtained scores in tests, blame others or consider cheating
Can I develop a Growth Mindset?
I am delighted to say a growth mindset can be achieved by anyone who wishes to have one. That’s not to say it’s easy to do. However it is certainly achievable!
Growth Mindset Step 1
Firstly If you make individuals aware of different mindsets. This includes the signs, and the consequences. By doing so you can start the process of moving towards a growth mindset. So technically if you have read this, you are already 10% there!
Growth Mindset Step 2
Secondly, you need to emphasis and rewards the process instead of the successful solutions. In terms of making healthier choices, celebrate the small wins like reducing from 3 chocolate bars to 2. This will motivate you to carry on with your plan.
Growth Mindset Step 3
Thirdly praise effort and resilience, not intelligence! If you have a friend who is working hard at something or trying to lose that lockdown weight, praise them for their effort to carry on. Moreover for the hard work they are putting in. This will be a much more beneficial way to support them, and help their growth mindset develop.
Growth Mindset Step 4
Fourtly, be encouraged to try new and difficult challenges. By setting personal goals that initially seem out of reach, you set yourself a target. Remember that you are trying to better than the person you were yesterday, not anyone else around you.
Growth Mindset Step 5
Lastly, remember that the goal is not fast learning and immediate results. Instead it is deep learning and long term goals that you are interested in. These take time and can seem never ending. However, the grit trait you develop will help you not only in your food choices, but many aspect of your daily life.
That's all for now folks...
Do you have a fixed or growth mindset? Have you come across any interesting topics around this? Leave your comments below or via email@behaviouralfoodie.co.uk
Check out the TED talk from Angela Lee Duckworth below:
The meat paradox, technology and the shift to popular veganism
I’m sure we all remember a time when Veganism was a strange and unheard of concept. Now around every corner there are adverts, billboards, promotions and the increasing marketing of Veganuary.
According to The Vegan Society, the number of products with The Vegan trademark has risen to 14,262 and this includes cosmetic toiletries as well as thousands food and drink items.
But how does this fair when there is a meat paradox? What about the cognitive dissonance people feel?
What is veganism?
Veganism is described as a lifestyle choice by which an individual refuses to consume or use any products which are from an animals body, or produced by animals.
Veganism has grown exponentially over the last decade with results in 2020 indicating 41% of Brits reported completely removing or actively reducing the amount of meat in their diet.
With the rise in attraction to veganism and the growth of the Veganuary movement, many people who previously had no interest in veganism are willing to attempt the ‘Try vegan’ challenge.
What is the ‘meat paradox’?
Described by psychologists Bastian and Loughnan as being “the psychological conflict between people’s dietary preference for meat, and their moral response to animal suffering”.
To simplify, the meat paradox suggests that despite the consumption of factory farmed meat, many individuals in principal are against animal cruelty.
In behavioural science we call this cognitive dissonance. This refers to a situation involving a conflict of attitudes, beliefs or behaviours.
This process of thought causes a level of mental discomfort, and leads to an individual. altering their behaviour in order to reduce this discomfort, and subsequently restore balance.
With regards to meat consumption many individuals feel this cognitive dissonance through moral guilt. For example, enjoying a food which is produced through the discomfort of another living creature.
In turn many will make the decision to switch to veganism as a way of levelling their moral compass.
The role of technology in the meat paradox
After listening to a TED talk by Juan Enriquez about how technology changes our sense of right and wrong, the idea of moral views changing over time became quite apparent.
Juan made reference to historical events of public beheadings, and how over time this changed from being completely acceptable to no longer being appropriate.
Because of these changes in moral perception around what is right and wrong, this causes major shifts in human behaviour.
With the advancement of technology, our views can suddenly change based on the enviroments we are living in.
The influence of social media on our decisions is something that cannot be ignored, with veganism having a massive interest and following online, and especially in January.
Veganism is also one of many behaviour shifts that have caused the direction of the food and drink industry to change.
Changes in the food and drink industry
Over the last few years we have seen the emergence of major food brands including McDonalds, KFC and Burger King producing meat alternative products.
This is caused by a number of reasons that can all be related to cognitive dissonance and technology.
Group identification
The increase in cognitive dissonance has made people feel they have to make a choice or be more outwardly supportive. With the constant bombardment from social media, people feel they have to pick a side and cannot be outwardly against veganism.
Due to a need to identify with a group, celebrity, or movement which seems to have the moral high ground, individuals are more willing to try an alternative lifestyle.
As food technology advances, people are looking at vegan options as being a ‘cheaper alternative’ to regular meat’. People are seeing a more economically sustainable choice which fits within their moral compass, without any apparent change in consumption.
Substitutes
The advancement of technology has made meat substitutes more accessible and the choice to switch to veganism much easier.
Supermarket chains are now seen dedicating entire aisles to vegan food stuffs, and providing meat substitutes which taste almost as good as the real meat.
So much so, that in many cases meat eaters cannot tell the difference. The ease of making the change is why many are opting for a vegan lifestyle which removes the mental discomfort caused by the meat paradox.
Are you vegan? What do you think of this shift in behaviour? Leave your comments in the form below:
Check out the TED talk below:
Check out my other blog posts...
IGGI Bowl: The Latest Technology for Effortless Weight Loss
What is the IGGI™️ Mindful Eating Bowl?
What is the IGGI Mindful Eating Bowl?
I was sent this article named by my dad a couple of days ago. It was about a bowl which claimed to help ease weight loss through ‘Calorie Cloaking’. The name of said bowl was IGGI™️ Mindful Eating Bowl. The French invention and Indiegogo project was fully funded in 2 hours!
IGGI uses 'Calorie Cloaking'
‘Calorie cloaking’ is what IGGI use as their main selling point. Through the design, IGGI can trick your brain into believing you are consuming around 900 calories. In actual fact you only consume 600 calories. The picture below shows the ‘dip’ in the bowl used to calorie cloak that extra 300 calories. The physical restrictions of this design mean intake is cut by 33% on average.
Is there any science behind IGGI?
In this image we have two orange discs. One with a large ring around it and one with a smaller ring. Despite both these middle orange discs being the same size, our minds trick us into thinking they are different sizes.
This bias has led to studies regarding large and small plate sizes. They argue if smaller plates are used, it can reduce overall consumption of food. The bias makes us perceive we have eaten a large amount of food. As a result we feel satisfied after the meal.
Furthermore, studies have indicated consumption differences between plates and bowls. Individuals tend to serve themselves and intake less from bowls, when compared to plates.
Other design features?
IGGI is a Japanese inspired stoneware bowl. 100% eco-friendly, BPA & plastic free, microwave & dishwasher safe. Additionally IGGI comes with a bamboo leak proof lid. As well as this they provide a bowl section guideline. This ensures you eat the correct portion of fruit & veg, pulses, proteins and carbs.
Why is it red?
Although the red may seems slightly off putting to eat from, that is kind of the point!
Colour psychology has shown that individuals intake less food when they eat on red plates compared to white plates. Using this combination IGGI has created a product which uses all your biases against you. Hence it helps you easily stop overeating.
Is IGGI the answer to all my diet prayers?
Although the science behind this is sound, I am still skeptical that this concept would work in all instances. Recent studies have argued that with mild amounts of food deprivation this may not work. Results have indicated that food deprivation makes us less susceptible to these illusionary biases. So we will definitely notice those 300 missing calories being ‘cloaked’!
Since this is a fairly new product, it will be interesting to see to what extent IGGI works. Despite my reservations, I am very intrigued to try this ‘calorie cloaking’ experiment on myself!
Please see the video below for more information about this product!
If you have any thoughts about the IGGI™️ Mindful Eating Bowl please leave them in the comments below!
Check out my other blog post: How To Fix Easy Weight Gain & Difficult Weight Loss
Other Info
This is not an affiliated / paid review.
All images of IGGI™️ Mindful Eating Bowl are not my own, and are used from online sources. Links to sources are available through images.
Framing: Professional Companies Are Using It Against You
What is framing?
Why does framing matter?
In my opinion, understanding the framing effect and being able to spot when it is being used against you is crucial. Companies rely on these mental shortcuts we use to entice us into buying their brand or product. Although many companies may be trying to provide you with a good or service. Consequently, they will always be trying to find ways to make more profit. And by using these framing techniques, they can do just that.
Example of framing in the food industry?
Framing Example
But why did I pick that yoghurt?
Another framing example
Diet and wellbeing course: £495
OR
Pay in monthly instalments of £109 for 5 months
So you say that’s great! I can start right away and pay in monthly instalments!
But if you actually work out the total of £109 every 5 months, you will realise it equals £545. You will pay £50 more for the exact same course.
Unfortunately that’s a pricey and unfair mistake, don’t you think?
Is there a solution to framing?
System 1: Your Ego Depletion And Limited Self Control
System 1 & Self Control
Let’s play a game and see how your system 1 and 2 are affected:
A salad and doughnut cost £1.10.
The salad costs one pound more than the doughnut.
How much does the doughnut cost?
Well that’s easy! It’s 10p.
Wrong.
The answer is actually 5p. If the doughnut costs 10p, then the total cost will be £1.20. (10p for the doughnut and £1.10 for the salad). If you do the math you will see the easy, intuitive answer of 10p is incorrect. In addition, 5p is the correct answer. And if you did indeed get it right, you probably had to resist this initial incorrect answer.
Why do you make mistakes with System 1 and 2?
This is a perfect example of your System 2 listening to your System 1. Why? Because it is the easy option. Kahneman and colleagues have done work to argue that System 1 and 2 have personality traits. Although System 2 is logical and reasoning, it can also be lazy. As a result it relies on System 1 in certain situations. We see this also when System 2 is busy or depleted. This has a direct relation to the food we tend to go for.
What happens when System 2 is busy?
Previous psychological studies have highlighted that when faced with a cognitively demanding task and given temptation, you more likely to give in. For example, you are asked to remember a string of numbers. During this time you are offered a salad or an oozing chocolate cake. You will almost always pick the cake.
But why is this the case? Baumeister and colleagues named the phenomenon ego depletion. Where an individual’s self-control or effortful will becomes tiring. As a result, as time goes on you are less willing to exert the same effort to maintain self-control. Furthermore, it is clear that mental, emotional and physical functions all use the same mental energy source. As a result, an emotionally draining encounter can make you feel less willing to do the next physical task.
How do you combat these conflicts between System 1 and 2?
So how do we combat these issues we face? Baumeister’s group found that with a strong incentive, people are more willing to maintain their self-control. Furthermore they have more willingness to exert the same effort for the next challenge. For many of us working all day, the lack of willingness to eat healthy or exercise after work can be directly linked to this ego depleted feeling. Or in other words, your System 2 is being lazy and relying on your sweet toothed, System 1 to make decisions.
How do you take control of self-control?
Self-control is one of the hardest traits to obtain because it involves constantly keeping your System 1 in check. By training your System 2 to ignore the cues from System 1, you can help yourself to make better decision. And this can even be in a depleted or busy situation. In addition, giving yourself a strong incentive like a reward for your actions can help you to stay motivated to achieving your goals.
Check out my other blog posts:
Growth Mindset, Grit and Its Connection To Food Choices
What if I told you that you need to be able to fail and be wrong in order to succeed. And if having a growth mindset could create longevity in your successes. Would you believe me?
Read MoreSleep And Food Choices: A Remarkable Relationship
Does sleep actually matter?
Carrying on with last weeks theme of self control and food choices, I thought it might be interesting this week to explore sleep deprivation. Moreover, how that has an affect on our food choices.
We have all been told having a good night’s sleep is a crucial part of leading a healthy lifestyle. Many of us aim for a good night’s sleep of 8 hours. However you can fall short of this due to different commitments you have. I have heard many people tell me they do not require that many hours of sleep. Although this may feel the case, it is not always true. It is important for us to understand how sleep deprivation can cause a lack of optimum decision making in other areas.
Can it affect your decision making?
As many of you will be aware, a range of factors can affect the food choices you make. Including availability, stress, ease of consumption etc.
A range of studies discuss this issue of lack of sleep and if it is directly correlated to obesity. As a population on average, we suffer from a chronic lack of sleep and so this has long term effects on our decision making. Harrison and colleagues found that in the short term, deprivation impairs decision making. This is seen in a range of problem solving tasks. Killgore found that decision making made under uncertainty is vulnerable to sleep loss. As well as this, it can worsen with age. Harrison and Horne found that participants playing decision making games in a state of deprived sleep showed impairment in innovative thinking and flexible decision making.
It is clear that a lack of sleep can cause signs of impairment in our decision making. So how does this relate to food.
What about your food choices?
Brondel and colleagues analysed partial sleep deprivation in males. They show that in comparison with individuals who slept 8 hours, individuals consume 22% more calories. Markwald built on this by discussing repeated nights of insufficient sleep and its impact on food intake. The study highlighted that energy expenditure was up 5%. Despite this, energy intake is excessive of what is needed to maintain energy balance. Especially at night after dinner. This is argued as being psychological adaptation. Undoubtedly to provide energy needed to sustain the additional hours of being awake. However when the food is easily accessible this changes. Instead the intake surpasses what is required to maintain energy balance.
How does lack of sleep affect your brain?
Benedict and colleagues explain this happens due to the the sleep enhancing your brain’s pleasure stimulus. As a result this drives us to consume more food. Wells and Cruess report that food choices were altered following deprivation. Consequently with individuals choosing more unhealthy food. It is clear that individuals are severely affected by their present bias, leading them to be less able to exercise their self control.
Sleep can help you control your weight
Therefore, it is clear that less sleep can heavily influence your decision making. Individuals are more likely to pick unhealthy, high energy food choices to gain more energy. Over time this can be detrimental to weight and future health. My take away point would be to try and gain as much sleep as you can. I know myself this can be hard for different reasons, but it will significantly benefit your health in the long-term and your decision making around food.
Self Control And The Truth About Dieting
Why Do You Impulsively Eat? Do You Lack Self Control?
Hopefully you have been introduced to some behavioural terms in some of my other blog posts. In today’s blog post we are highlighting issues of self control on desires. In addition, how they directly affect our food behaviour and choices.
What is self control?
Self control is a personality trait that many of us wish to possess. And it varies from person to person. One of the most famous experiments to convey this was the Stanford Marshmallow Experiment in the 1960s.
The experiment involved young children who were given one marshmallow. They were told they can either eat the marshmallow now. Or alternatively wait until the adult returned and they will receive another marshmallow (and therefore have two). Subsequently, the study showed the varying degrees of self control in each child. Some pretended to eat it, whereas others had ‘just one lick’. Some even ate parts and left some on the plate. Importantly, each child reflected the differences in our levels of self control. Unfortunately for the latter, they did not receive the second marshmallow!
Short term vs long term pleasure
Undoubtedly, the study conveys the basic principles of short term pleasure versus a long term goal. Many studies have recreated this experiment to show variations of this. In particular, we tend to see this type of behaviour in diet culture. We make a plan to start a new diet. But as soon as we see that chocolate cake or doughnut, we simply can’t resist!
What are system 1 & 2?
In Daniel Kahneman’s book ‘Thinking fast and slow’, he attributes this type of behaviour to two systems, System 1 & System 2. Firstly System 1 is your intuitive, fast and present focused system. It is emotional, impulsive and often very automatic or unconscious. on the other hand System 2 is quite the opposite. In that it displays slow and deliberate choices. This is where your self control lives and it is a mostly conscious cognitive process which is much more effortful. System 1 can often suffer from present bias (O’Donoghue & Rabin, 1999) where the payoff in the present outweighs those in the future. This means the pleasure you will receive from eating the forbidden food now will outweigh the pleasure of not eating it later.
How do you control self control?
Along with this, there must be ways to stop yourself listening to your System 1 Moreover, be more successful at achieving your future goals. But how? By simply knowing when your System 1 is acting, you can send the supply of blood to the brain which activates System 2. As a result you can reflect and act in a way which is more in line with your future goals. And secondly, rather than giving in to the present bias you face. Instead of your choices being short-term, you can deliberately make choices for the long-term. And most importantly stick to your diet goals!
By building up the personality trait of self control, we as humans can become more successful in controlling our impulses. Consequently we can apply this to many other areas of our lives. This includes life choices, career options and most importantly your food habits.
Behavioral Science: The Breakthrough Of Understanding
What is Behavioral Science?
Behavioral science is the science of human decision making. This is done by analysing it through psychological and economic principles. The aim of any great behavioral scientist is to try and understand what is going on in your brain. And why you make the decisions you do?!
Where did Behavioral Science start?
It all dated back to neoclassical economics. Behavioral science didn’t exist as a subject. Many economists such as Smith and Ricardo argued that humans were totally rational. This means they made decisions based on perfect information. Obviously this isn’t true or even possible. Moreover they believed that they weigh up every single probability. And from that they make a choice to maximise their satisfaction. In short, people choice the decision which gives them the most value.
How did it become about choices and preferences?
Psychology and economics changed this view as behavioral science advanced. Scientists such as James argued that decision making was more about impulses. And adding to this motivations behind these impulses. Pareto theorised that an individual’s choices and perspectives were far more important. Furthermore, their preferences far outweighed even the value of the option.
Your limited decision making abilities
Moreover, this changed again over the next 50 years. Simon argued that people only have limited knowledge when making a choice. In addition they aren’t looking to maximise their satisfaction. On the contrary, you look to just satisfy your needs. Kahneman & Tversky found that heuristics and biases heavily influence decision making. And these influencers affect all aspects of decision making. Including human rationality, self-control, choices over time, etc. Behavioral science has evolved dramatically over the years and continues to grow as a discipline. Every day we are learning more and more about human decision making.
Behavioral Science in social & economic settings
From this behavioral science and scientists are trying to understand human decision making. Additionally, how these decisions can be improved in economic and social settings. Many of us are unaware of the judgments we make based on certain heuristics and biases. Our brain cause use to make decisions about life choices without having the full knowledge or information to do so.
From these understandings, behavioral science looks to understand how individuals make decision. Consequently how these decisions can be improved in different economic and social settings. It is important to understand the way in which our judgements are affected by our own internal heuristics and biases. As well as this, we can explore how external factors can play on these mental shortcuts. As a result causing us to make less effective choices.
What is Behavioural Foodie?
To conclude, with this blog I intend to help you make better food choices. As a behavioral science enthusiast and scientist myself, I love using it to help people. Behavioural Foodie is the future of food choices. Making sustainable and healthier food choices is at the core of what we do. If we can make more informed food choices, we can make better ones.
Check out my other blog posts:
Priming: The Greatest Persuader Of Our Vulnerable Subconscious
Have you ever been in a situation where you impulsively felt like making a purchase. So much so that you feel like your mind had already made that choice without you being consciously aware of it? The most likely reason is because you have been affected by priming.
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