The better the story, the bigger the serving: narrative transportation increases snacking during screen time in a randomized trial

Public Deposited
Analytics

Downloadable Content

Download PDF
Request Version for Screen Reader
Creator
  • Lyons, Elizabeth J
    • Affiliation: Gillings School of Global Public Health, Department of Nutrition
    • Other Affiliation: The University of Texas Medical Branch, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX 77555-0342, USA
  • Tate, Deborah
    • Affiliation: Gillings School of Global Public Health, Department of Nutrition
  • Ward, Dianne
    • Affiliation: Gillings School of Global Public Health, Department of Nutrition
Abstract
  • Abstract Background Watching television and playing video games increase energy intake, likely due to distraction from satiety cues. A study comparing one hour of watching TV, playing typical video games, or playing motion-controlled video games found a difference across groups in energy intake, but the reasons for this difference are not clear. As a secondary analysis, we investigated several types of distraction to determine potential psychosocial mechanisms which may account for greater energy intake observed during sedentary screen time as compared to motion-controlled video gaming. Methods Feelings of enjoyment, engagement (mental immersion), spatial presence (the feeling of being in the game), and transportation (immersion in a narrative) were investigated in 120 young adults aged 18 – 35 (60 female). Results Only narrative transportation was associated with total caloric intake (ρ = .205, P = .025). Transportation was also higher in the TV group than in the gaming groups (P = .002) and higher in males than in females (P = .003). Transportation mediated the relationship between motion-controlled gaming (as compared to TV watching) and square root transformed energy intake (indirect effect = −1.34, 95% confidence interval −3.57, −0.13). No other distraction-related variables were associated with intake. Conclusions These results suggest that different forms of distraction may differentially affect eating behavior during screen time, and that narrative appears to be a particularly strong distractor. Future studies should further investigate the effects of narrative on eating behavior.
Date of publication
DOI
Identifier
Resource type
  • Article
Rights statement
  • In Copyright
Rights holder
  • Elizabeth J Lyons et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.
License
Journal title
  • International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity
Journal volume
  • 10
Journal issue
  • 1
Page start
  • 60
Language
  • English
Is the article or chapter peer-reviewed?
  • Yes
ISSN
  • 1479-5868
Bibliographic citation
  • International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. 2013 May 16;10(1):60
Publisher
  • BioMed Central Ltd
Access right
  • Open Access
Date uploaded
  • May 21, 2013

Relations

Parents:

This work has no parents.

Items

Thumbnail Title Date Uploaded Visibility Actions
file details 1479-5868-10-60.pdf 2019-05-06 Public Download
file details 1479-5868-10-60.xml 2019-05-06 Public Download
file details Food and beverage intake. 2019-05-06 Public Download
file details Television shows watched and video games played by gender. 2019-05-06 Public Download