Improving the touchscreen-based food approach-avoidance task: remediated block-order effects and initial findings regarding validity

Approach biases to foods may explain why food consumption often diverges from deliberate dietary intentions. Yet, the assessment of behavioural with approach-avoidance tasks (AAT) is unreliable and validity partially unclear. The present study continues a series studies that develop task based on naturalistic approach avoidance movements touchscreen (hand-AAT). In hand-AAT, participants are instructed respond food/non-food distinction, thereby ensuring attention stimuli. this implies use instruction switches (i.e., ‘approach – avoid objects’ ‘avoid objects’), which introduce order effects. increased number potentially minimize effects, re-examined reliability. We additionally included implicit association (IAT) several self-reported eating behaviours investigate task’s validity. Results replicated presence reliable irrespective order. Evidence for validity, however, was mixed: correlated positively external eating, increase in craving aggregated image valence ratings but not desire eat individual images considered within or IAT. conclude hand-AAT can reliably assess relevant patterns.