Effects of attentional focus on subjective hunger ratings

Food-deprived and non-deprived non-dieters rated their hunger and fullness during a "free think" period and then during three counterbalanced video pr esentations-a control video, a video featuring palatable food cues and an a bsorbing non-food video. The food-cue video increased hunger ratings for bo th deprived and non-deprived participants. The absorbing non-food video dec reased hunger for deprived (but not for non-deprived) participants. Changes in fullness ratings were not simply the complement of changes in hunger ra tings. The discussion focuses on the cognitive mediators of hunger percepti on. (C) 1999 Academic Press.