Don’t Make Important Decisions on an Empty Stomach

Participants in an experiment designed by Dr Vincent were asked questions relating to food, money and other rewards when satiated and again when they had skipped a meal. While it was perhaps unsurprising that hungry people were more likely to settle for smaller food incentives that arrived sooner, the researchers found that being hungry actually changes preferences for rewards entirely unrelated to food. This indicates that a reluctance to defer gratification may carry over into other kinds of decisions, such as financial and interpersonal ones. Dr Vincent believes it is important that people know that hunger might affect their preferences in ways they don’t necessarily predict. There is also a danger that people experiencing hunger due to poverty may make decisions that entrench their situation. “We found there was a large effect, people’s preferences shifted dramatically from the long to short term when hungry,” he said. “This is an aspect of hu https://www.technologynetworks.com/applied-sciences/news/dont-make-important-decisions-on-an-empty-stomach-324068?utm_campaign=NEWSLETTER_TN_Breaking%20Science%20News&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=76980822&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_dIX3l9oYtCUpR8FiOkifmFNX5YuZ7Q3-mXACgNMhqR2jH9R0PWVcnDAJu2cTRilv1eRLNPE2G8pSkOgDwF6FOJHA7-g&_hsmi=76980822