You are being invited to take part in research that tests whether a simple computerised task can help reduce intake of high-calorie snack foods and facilitate weight loss. This study is being carried out by Dr. Natalia Lawrence and Prof. Frederick Verbruggen at the University of Exeter, UK, and has been approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Department of Psychology, University of Exeter.
You will be able to access the online training on the next page but before you do, it is important that you understand what participation in the study will involve.
We have some initial evidence that this training may be effective from a study we have conducted but it may not work for everyone. As the research is at an early stage we cannot be certain about all the possible benefits and side effects of the training, however based on our work so far we do not anticipate that doing this training puts you at any significant risk. Nevertheless because it may result in weight loss and changes to eating habits it is important that you DO NOT TAKE PART IF YOU ARE UNDERWEIGHT (i.e. if you have a BMI lower than 18.5. Click here to check this), or if you have any health conditions that could be worsened by reducing your calorie intake (e.g. an eating disorder). If you are unsure about whether this applies to you please consult your healthcare professional before participating.
You should try to complete the online training task (which takes about 10 minutes) once per day for 4 consecutive days. This should ideally be done alone, in a quiet environment, and before a meal as it may be important that you are hungry when performing the task to maximise its effects. We will compare your snacking behaviour and weight before, and one month after you have completed the training using an online questionnaire. The link to the 'before training' questionnaire is at the bottom of this page. We will email you one month after you have completed the training to request the 'after training' information using the email address you provide to log in to the training.
The whole study should take no more than 1 hour, split into a series of shorter sessions.
It is important that you understand it is your choice to take part and you can stop taking part at any time without explaining why. All the information will be kept securely and will only be seen by members of the research team at the University of Exeter. We intend to publish the findings of this study in an academic journal and they may also be reported by the media. However it will not be possible to identify you from any of these reports. If you have any questions or concerns about the study, please contact the lead researcher Dr. Natalia Lawrence at foodtraining@exeter.ac.uk. If you have concerns about your weight or diet please contact your healthcare professional.
Please read the following consent statements and select "continue" at the bottom of this page to provide consent to take part in this study.
I confirm that:
- I am over 18 and not underweight.
- I am not suffering from any health conditions that would be negatively affected by reducing my calorie intake.
- Participation in this study is entirely voluntary and that I can withdraw from the study at any time without giving a reason.
- This training may or may not help me to reduce my snacking and lose weight.
- The data provided by me in this experiment will be used in anonymous form for research purposes only. They will not be shared in any manner which would allow identification of my individual responses.
- Any information about my identity obtained from this research will be kept strictly confidential and will be accessed only by the study researchers.
By proceeding I give my consent to take part in the present study and for my data to be used for research purposes.
Please click here to complete a short (5 minute) survey about your current snacking, weight and dieting ('before training' measures).
Please click "continue" to give consent and proceed to the training.