دانلود رایگان مقاله تاثیر مصرف متعادل شکلات بر خلق و خوی

Abstract

Chocolate consumption is anecdotally associated with an increase in happiness, but little experimental work has examined this effect. We combined a food type manipulation (chocolate vs. crackers) with a mindfulness manipulation (mindful consumption vs. non-mindful consumption) and examined the impact on positive mood. Participants (N = 258) were randomly assigned to eat a small portion (75 calories) of chocolate or a control food (crackers) in a mindful or non-mindful way. Participants who were instructed to mindfully eat chocolate had a greater increase in positive mood compared to participants who were instructed to eat chocolate non-mindfully or crackers either mindfully or non-mindfully. Additional analyses revealed that self-reported liking of the food partially mediated this effect. Chocolate appears to increase positive mood, but particularly when it is eaten mindfully.

5. Conclusion

The current study revealed that the consumption of chocolate (vs. crackers) enhanced positive mood, but particularly when it was eaten mindfully. This finding suggests that mindfulness may enhance pre-existing rewarding experiences such as chocolate consumption. Future work should examine additional mechanisms, moderators, and the implications of this effect in relation to the consumption amounts of candy. It could be that a small versus large portion of candy might similarly increase positive mood when both are eaten in a mindful manner.