Our Research

We study a range of eating-related and health-related behaviors, including eating disorder symptoms (e.g., binge eating, restriction), food-related approach-avoidance tendencies, eating styles such as emotional and stress eating, intention-behavior gaps, food cue reactivity and craving, and physical activity — in healthy, overweight, and eating-disordered individuals. Negative emotions and stress in particular can shift eating behavior in different directions — some people eat more, others less. We study why, and how people can regain a sense of control.

Implicit Impulses

Much of our response to food happens automatically, before conscious thought. We measure these approach and avoidance tendencies using computerized behavioral tasks, and test whether they can be trained or modified.

Digital Interventions

Using smartphone-based ambulatory assessment (EMA), we capture eating behavior as it happens in everyday life, and develop just-in-time interventions that meet people where they are.

Our Methods

Our methodological approach combines computerized behavioral tasks (e.g., approach-avoidance task, idiosyncratic emotional food task, food decision task), tracking of physical activity, and psychophysiological measures including EEG and fMRI.