Design: Pre-Post design with food. 2 weeks of follow-up
Sample: 58 female undergraduate students of the University of Jaén (Spain) (18-29 years old)
Half participants were told not to eat any chocolate (i.e., deprivation condition) and half were told they could eat chocolate (i.e., non-deprivation condition).
State-level food cravings, mood, and chocolate intake were measured and compared across groups (i.e. deprived high-cravers, deprived low-cravers, non-deprived high-cravers, and non-deprived low-cravers).
With regard to MOOD, state-anxiety was statistically different between pre and post deprivation (effect of time p less than 0.01). There was also an effect of craving on mood over time (time craving interaction p less than 0.05) and chocolate craving increased in deprived participants, but also in non-deprived high-cravers.
Furthermore, stratifying for craving, all high-cravers experienced increased anxiety independent of deprivation condition, whereas no changes in state-level mood and anxiety emerged in low-cravers.
Researchers could not insure that deprived groups did not eat chocolate or that non-deprived groups ate chocolate during the 2-weeks. Also, the chocolate taste test occurred in an experimental environment. Therefore, it is possible that participants were more conscious of their chocolate consumption than they would be in a natural setting.
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