Research Interests
The Role of Early Sensory Experiences in the Development of Preferences for Healthy Foods.
Children generally avoid eating most vegetables and forgo consumption of natural sources of sugars such as fruit in favor of foods and beverages that are high in added sugars. This preference for simple sugars and energy-dense foods over nutrient-rich alternatives has dire health consequences. Children’s poor dietary habits are a risk factor for several diseases, including pediatric obesity, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension, which have traditionally afflicted older adults. The goal of our research is to understand the mechanisms involved in the development of flavor and food preferences throughout childhood. Expanding on previous research that has shown that repeated exposure to a variety of healthy foods increases infant's liking and acceptance of these foods, we have shown that exposure to information about healthy foods or to the chemosensory qualities of the foods increases older children's willingness to try them in both a laboratory and school setting.
More recently we have been investigating children's responses to novel vegetables and fruits in an attempt to understand their cognitive responses to these typically avoided foods. We are also interested in understanding how sensory characteristics of novel foods (i.e., odor, color, and texture) affects children's decision to try them.
The Role of Early Sensory Experiences in the Development of Addictive Behaviors.
The Role of Early Sensory Experiences in the Development of Addictive Behaviors.
Children who have a parent who smokes are more likely to begin smoking or drinking alcohol than their peers who do not have a family history of addictive behaviors. The goal of our research is to explore potential cognitive mechanisms to explain this relationship. Using implicit cognitive behavioral and physiological approaches our research has investigated whether previous experiences with the smoking- or drinking-related behaviors of children’s family members affects their reactivity to smoking- or alcohol-related cues. Our findings show that children who have parents who smoke or are addicted to alcohol demonstrate attentional biases and enhanced evaluation of addiction-related visual cues relative to children who do not use nicotine or tobacco. These results suggest that children of addicted parents may be at risk for smoking or drinking initiation because of their enhanced attention to these cues.
Dieting Behavior
We are also interested in food choice and eating patterns in later developmental periods (i.e., adults), particularly those related to dieting behavior (or cognitive restraint). Each day, we make numerous dietary decisions that are determined by internal cues such as hunger, satiety, and cravings, as well as external cues such as social factors, food availability, and marketing approaches. Our work has investigated the role of brand and marketing claims on food intake. We are also interested in the role of intrinsic factors on intake. Specifically, we have been investigating mindfulness and emotion regulation as a means of overcoming overeating.
Plant-Based Eating
Research indicates that vegetarianism is more than a dietary habit, it is a social identity. Consistent with this, vegetarians have a more pro-social orientation than omnivores. Although it may seem that vegetarians should be better adjusted than omnivores due to their strong pro-social orientation, my findings show the opposite. Not only are vegetarians more introverted, neurotic, and depressed than omnivores , analyses of daily diaries showed that they experience lower self-esteem, lower psychological adjustment, less meaning in life, more negative moods and more negative social experiences than omnivores. It is possible that these negative social experiences are in part, a function of negative experiences with omnivores. To this end, current work with my graduate student is investigating omnivores’ implicit and explicit attitudes toward vegetarians.
We present our research at a range of scientific conferences.
Learn about them here!
Society for the Study of Ingestive Bahavior
Association for Chemoreception Sciences
International Society for Developmental Psychobiology
Participating
If you live in the Tidewater region of Virginia and are interested in participating in one of our experiments,
let us know!
Feel free to e-mail us directly, or complete the
form to the right.