{"title":"健康跨期决策的认知加工和直觉特征:来自行为和ERP研究的证据。","authors":"Yan Zou , Xiaoli Yang , Xueli Xu","doi":"10.1016/j.appet.2025.108351","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Health intertemporal decision-making is related to the health and well-being of individuals and the nation. However, its cognitive processing remains poorly understood. From a healthcare perspective, the current study adopts a dual-processing theory framework and employs the food time discount rate as a measurement paradigm to systematically examine the relationship between health behaviors and health intertemporal decision-making, as well as their underlying cognitive processing.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The current study consists of three interconnected sub-studies. Study 1 recruited 397 participants from northwestern and southwestern China, who were asked to rate 21 health behaviors across three dimensions: required effort, duration, and health impact. Cluster analysis was then used to test whether health behaviors could serve as proxy indicators of health intertemporal decision-making. Study 2 recruited 156 participants from northwestern China and explored whether health intertemporal decision-making simultaneously relies on heuristic and analytical processing by manipulating emotional tasks (heuristic processing) and working memory tasks (analytical processing). Study 3 recruited 30 participants from northwestern China and employed event-related potential (ERP) technology to compare intuitive preferences in health intertemporal decision-making under manipulations of time intervals.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The results of Study 1 indicate that, compared to short-term-effortless health behaviors, long-term-effortful health behaviors scored significantly higher on effort investment (<em>t</em> = 22.902∗∗∗) and duration (<em>t</em> = 16.607∗∗∗), but significantly lower on health impact (<em>t</em> = −18.779∗∗∗), suggesting that health behaviors can be categorized into two types: long-term-effortful health behaviors corresponding to delayed large benefits and short-term-effortless health behaviors corresponding to immediate small benefits. This provides a feasible method for indirectly measuring health intertemporal decision-making through health behaviors. The results of Study 2 showed a significant interaction between heuristic and analytical processing in health intertemporal decision-making (<em>F</em>(1, 147) = 4.934, <em>p</em> = 0.028, η<sub>p</sub><sup>2</sup> = 0.032). Moreover, individuals exhibited higher discount rates and a stronger preference for immediate gratification in unhealthy food contexts (<em>F</em>(1, 147) = 16.886, <em>p</em> < 0.001, η<sub>p</sub><sup>2</sup> = 0.103), suggesting that health intertemporal decision-making conforms to a dual-process model. The results of Study 3 showed that when presented with unhealthy foods, individuals exhibited a stronger preference for immediate rewards (<em>F</em>(1, 24) = 0.391, <em>p</em> = 0.538, η<sub>p</sub><sup>2</sup> = 0.016) and relied more on heuristic processing (N1: <em>F</em>(1, 24) = 1.258, <em>p</em> = 0.273, η<sub>p</sub><sup>2</sup> = 0.050; P2: <em>F</em>(1, 24) = 0.259, <em>p</em> = 0.615, η<sub>p</sub><sup>2</sup> = 0.011).</div></div><div><h3>Discussion</h3><div>Current research indicates that healthy behaviors can serve as indirect measures of health intertemporal decision-making, which follows the dual-process theory, and that unhealthy foods are more susceptible to reliance on heuristic processing. This not only expands the applicability of dual-process theory in health intertemporal decision-making but also provides theoretical support for intervention strategies based on delayed gratification and inhibitory control, thereby offering new insights into promoting individual health outcomes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":242,"journal":{"name":"Appetite","volume":"217 ","pages":"Article 108351"},"PeriodicalIF":3.8000,"publicationDate":"2025-10-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":"{\"title\":\"Cognitive processing and intuitive characteristics of health intertemporal decision-making: Evidence from behavioral and ERP studies\",\"authors\":\"Yan Zou , Xiaoli Yang , Xueli Xu\",\"doi\":\"10.1016/j.appet.2025.108351\",\"DOIUrl\":null,\"url\":null,\"abstract\":\"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Health intertemporal decision-making is related to the health and well-being of individuals and the nation. However, its cognitive processing remains poorly understood. From a healthcare perspective, the current study adopts a dual-processing theory framework and employs the food time discount rate as a measurement paradigm to systematically examine the relationship between health behaviors and health intertemporal decision-making, as well as their underlying cognitive processing.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The current study consists of three interconnected sub-studies. Study 1 recruited 397 participants from northwestern and southwestern China, who were asked to rate 21 health behaviors across three dimensions: required effort, duration, and health impact. Cluster analysis was then used to test whether health behaviors could serve as proxy indicators of health intertemporal decision-making. Study 2 recruited 156 participants from northwestern China and explored whether health intertemporal decision-making simultaneously relies on heuristic and analytical processing by manipulating emotional tasks (heuristic processing) and working memory tasks (analytical processing). Study 3 recruited 30 participants from northwestern China and employed event-related potential (ERP) technology to compare intuitive preferences in health intertemporal decision-making under manipulations of time intervals.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The results of Study 1 indicate that, compared to short-term-effortless health behaviors, long-term-effortful health behaviors scored significantly higher on effort investment (<em>t</em> = 22.902∗∗∗) and duration (<em>t</em> = 16.607∗∗∗), but significantly lower on health impact (<em>t</em> = −18.779∗∗∗), suggesting that health behaviors can be categorized into two types: long-term-effortful health behaviors corresponding to delayed large benefits and short-term-effortless health behaviors corresponding to immediate small benefits. This provides a feasible method for indirectly measuring health intertemporal decision-making through health behaviors. The results of Study 2 showed a significant interaction between heuristic and analytical processing in health intertemporal decision-making (<em>F</em>(1, 147) = 4.934, <em>p</em> = 0.028, η<sub>p</sub><sup>2</sup> = 0.032). Moreover, individuals exhibited higher discount rates and a stronger preference for immediate gratification in unhealthy food contexts (<em>F</em>(1, 147) = 16.886, <em>p</em> < 0.001, η<sub>p</sub><sup>2</sup> = 0.103), suggesting that health intertemporal decision-making conforms to a dual-process model. The results of Study 3 showed that when presented with unhealthy foods, individuals exhibited a stronger preference for immediate rewards (<em>F</em>(1, 24) = 0.391, <em>p</em> = 0.538, η<sub>p</sub><sup>2</sup> = 0.016) and relied more on heuristic processing (N1: <em>F</em>(1, 24) = 1.258, <em>p</em> = 0.273, η<sub>p</sub><sup>2</sup> = 0.050; P2: <em>F</em>(1, 24) = 0.259, <em>p</em> = 0.615, η<sub>p</sub><sup>2</sup> = 0.011).</div></div><div><h3>Discussion</h3><div>Current research indicates that healthy behaviors can serve as indirect measures of health intertemporal decision-making, which follows the dual-process theory, and that unhealthy foods are more susceptible to reliance on heuristic processing. This not only expands the applicability of dual-process theory in health intertemporal decision-making but also provides theoretical support for intervention strategies based on delayed gratification and inhibitory control, thereby offering new insights into promoting individual health outcomes.</div></div>\",\"PeriodicalId\":242,\"journal\":{\"name\":\"Appetite\",\"volume\":\"217 \",\"pages\":\"Article 108351\"},\"PeriodicalIF\":3.8000,\"publicationDate\":\"2025-10-17\",\"publicationTypes\":\"Journal Article\",\"fieldsOfStudy\":null,\"isOpenAccess\":false,\"openAccessPdf\":\"\",\"citationCount\":\"0\",\"resultStr\":null,\"platform\":\"Semanticscholar\",\"paperid\":null,\"PeriodicalName\":\"Appetite\",\"FirstCategoryId\":\"3\",\"ListUrlMain\":\"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195666325005045\",\"RegionNum\":2,\"RegionCategory\":\"医学\",\"ArticlePicture\":[],\"TitleCN\":null,\"AbstractTextCN\":null,\"PMCID\":null,\"EPubDate\":\"\",\"PubModel\":\"\",\"JCR\":\"Q1\",\"JCRName\":\"BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES\",\"Score\":null,\"Total\":0}","platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Appetite","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195666325005045","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
Cognitive processing and intuitive characteristics of health intertemporal decision-making: Evidence from behavioral and ERP studies
Background
Health intertemporal decision-making is related to the health and well-being of individuals and the nation. However, its cognitive processing remains poorly understood. From a healthcare perspective, the current study adopts a dual-processing theory framework and employs the food time discount rate as a measurement paradigm to systematically examine the relationship between health behaviors and health intertemporal decision-making, as well as their underlying cognitive processing.
Methods
The current study consists of three interconnected sub-studies. Study 1 recruited 397 participants from northwestern and southwestern China, who were asked to rate 21 health behaviors across three dimensions: required effort, duration, and health impact. Cluster analysis was then used to test whether health behaviors could serve as proxy indicators of health intertemporal decision-making. Study 2 recruited 156 participants from northwestern China and explored whether health intertemporal decision-making simultaneously relies on heuristic and analytical processing by manipulating emotional tasks (heuristic processing) and working memory tasks (analytical processing). Study 3 recruited 30 participants from northwestern China and employed event-related potential (ERP) technology to compare intuitive preferences in health intertemporal decision-making under manipulations of time intervals.
Results
The results of Study 1 indicate that, compared to short-term-effortless health behaviors, long-term-effortful health behaviors scored significantly higher on effort investment (t = 22.902∗∗∗) and duration (t = 16.607∗∗∗), but significantly lower on health impact (t = −18.779∗∗∗), suggesting that health behaviors can be categorized into two types: long-term-effortful health behaviors corresponding to delayed large benefits and short-term-effortless health behaviors corresponding to immediate small benefits. This provides a feasible method for indirectly measuring health intertemporal decision-making through health behaviors. The results of Study 2 showed a significant interaction between heuristic and analytical processing in health intertemporal decision-making (F(1, 147) = 4.934, p = 0.028, ηp2 = 0.032). Moreover, individuals exhibited higher discount rates and a stronger preference for immediate gratification in unhealthy food contexts (F(1, 147) = 16.886, p < 0.001, ηp2 = 0.103), suggesting that health intertemporal decision-making conforms to a dual-process model. The results of Study 3 showed that when presented with unhealthy foods, individuals exhibited a stronger preference for immediate rewards (F(1, 24) = 0.391, p = 0.538, ηp2 = 0.016) and relied more on heuristic processing (N1: F(1, 24) = 1.258, p = 0.273, ηp2 = 0.050; P2: F(1, 24) = 0.259, p = 0.615, ηp2 = 0.011).
Discussion
Current research indicates that healthy behaviors can serve as indirect measures of health intertemporal decision-making, which follows the dual-process theory, and that unhealthy foods are more susceptible to reliance on heuristic processing. This not only expands the applicability of dual-process theory in health intertemporal decision-making but also provides theoretical support for intervention strategies based on delayed gratification and inhibitory control, thereby offering new insights into promoting individual health outcomes.
期刊介绍:
Appetite is an international research journal specializing in cultural, social, psychological, sensory and physiological influences on the selection and intake of foods and drinks. It covers normal and disordered eating and drinking and welcomes studies of both human and non-human animal behaviour toward food. Appetite publishes research reports, reviews and commentaries. Thematic special issues appear regularly. From time to time the journal carries abstracts from professional meetings. Submissions to Appetite are expected to be based primarily on observations directly related to the selection and intake of foods and drinks; papers that are primarily focused on topics such as nutrition or obesity will not be considered unless they specifically make a novel scientific contribution to the understanding of appetite in line with the journal's aims and scope.