Keitiline R. Viacava

Attentional bias modification based on visual probe task: methodological issues, results and clinical relevance

INTRODUCTION Attentional bias, the tendency that a person has to drive or maintain attention to a specific class of stimuli, may play an important role in the etiology and persistence of mental disorders. Attentional bias modification has been studied as a form of additional treatment related to automatic processing. OBJECTIVES This systematic literature review compared and discussed methods, evidence of success and potential clinical applications of studies about attentional bias modification (ABM) using a visual probe task. METHODS The Web of Knowledge, PubMed and PsycInfo were searched using the keywords attentional bias modification, attentional bias manipulation and attentional bias training. We selected empirical studies about ABM training using a visual probe task written in English and published between 2002 and 2014. RESULTS Fifty-seven studies met inclusion criteria. Most (78%) succeeded in training attention in the predicted direction, and in 71% results were generalized to other measures correlated with the symptoms. CONCLUSIONS ABM has potential clinical utility, but to standardize methods and maximize applicability, future studies should include clinical samples and be based on findings of studies about its effectiveness.

Attentional Bias for FoodImages after Exposure to FoodCommercials on TV

Attentional Bias for Food Images after Exposure to Food Commercials on TV Objective: We investigated the effects of exposure to TV commercials for food on attentional bias (AB) toward food images. Design: Participants were 58 lean (and fed) young adults (18- 25 years old; 29 female; 18.50-24.99 BMI), who were randomly assigned to one of three 20-minute TV programming conditions: a) 12-minute neutral program with two four-minute food-commercial blocks; b) 12-minute neutral program with two four-minute nonfood commercial blocks; or c) 20-minute neutral program without commercials. Participants then performed a Visual Probe Task in which pairs of food and non-food images concealed a probe (up or down arrow) for 100 ms, 500 ms or 2,000 ms. Main Outcome Measures: The task was to indicate the direction of the arrow. The AB was observed by the difference in reaction times when the arrow replaced the images. Questionnaires assessed subjective hunger (Grand Hunger Scale) and positive and negative affect (PANAS). Results: AB was negative and different than zero at time 2,000 ms. The interaction between time and condition indicated that AB may be independent of type of commercial. Watching TV increased subjective hunger and reduced positive and negative affect. Conclusion: We concluded that commercials can alter attention to food, and that watching TV per se can influence affect and subjective hunger.

Técnicas persuasivas de comunicação em comerciais de alimentos para o telespectador brasileiro

Television audience is exposed to a large amount of messages aiming at persuasion to choose a particular product. The high proportion of unhealthy food advertisements can influence eating habits and contribute to obesity. The objective of this study was to identify communication persuasive techniques in advertisements for unhealthy foods on open television. Persuasive techniques reported in the literature were searched in 19 advertisements from Brazilian TV. The most frequent techniques found were convenience, quality, taste, social value, and fun. Mood elevation, award-winning offer, animated characters, and health appeal were also observed, consistent with results of previous studies. These results reinforce the pertinence of the psychological study of persuasive techniques. Identification of such techniques can contribute to programs aimed at individuals facing health problems such as obesity, diabetes or hypertension. They can also support preventive actions to educate the population about the importance of more conscious and, possibly, healthy choices.

Unhealthy food commercials on brazilian TV

Unhealthy Food Commercials on Brazilian TV Determining and monitoring the amount of unhealthy food commercials on TV is relevant to the prevention and control of obesity. The aim of this study was to determine the proportion of unhealthy food commercials on Brazilian TV and compare it with preexisting data on the frequency and quality of the advertised products. We recorded 14 hours of programming from the three basic Brazilian TV channels with the largest audiences (total=378 hrs.). Commercials were classified into 25 categories based on the type of product advertised. We compared the proportions of the types of commercials and types of food using the Pearson Chi-square test. Food commercials constitute the category with the second highest amount of airtime at 720 hours (9%), lagging behind the respective channels’ TV programming advertising at 1958 hours (26%). Compared with previous data from 2002, the proportion of food commercials on TV decreased by 12%. However, commercials for unhealthy food increased by 16%. These results have implications for the development of contingency plans and public policies aimed at reducing the risks of exposure to unhealthy food commercials on TV.

Gerenciamento Adaptativo do SAI de Acácia Negra: uma abordagem sob a ótica da auto-organização sustentável

With the emergence of the concept of Sustainable Forest Management (SFM), forest agro-industries have been pressured to make decisions based on principles of sustainability, driving all the supply chain players toward forest certification. In Brazil, a process that mirrors this moment is happening in the Agroindustrial System of Acacia Negra. This is, however, in a complex context, implying ambiguous and risky decisions in the context of forest ecosystems. Thus, we propose the following question: what strategic actions forest producers are adopting, and how they relate to the risks in the Acacia agroindustrial system? The goal is to analyze the development and implementation of strategic actions that promote or discourage sustainable self-organization of the system (i.e. forest certification). The theoretical foundation starts with a systemic oriented perspective to the study of organizations and sustainable strategies. It integrates discussions more specifically related to the decision-making, strategies and risks within the rural property. Post-Normal science was the methodology used, following a qualitative approach. As a result, we identified that strategic actions adopted by forest producers are dialogically related to the risks and can have complementary, competitive and even antagonistic influences.