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Encyclopedia of Nutritional Psychology

Table of Contents

A B C D E F G H I K L M N O P R S T U V W

Robustness

The robustness of a microbiota refers to the degree of change in the microbiota after a disturbance and its ability to recover from this impact. It is an intriguing scale because it depicts the ecosystem’s overall steady state or resilience; for example, the environment may not directly impact a specific species. However, the extinction of another species may result in the collapse of the entire ecosystem because the microbiota structure is not “robust” or is overly vulnerable.

Routine

The routine is the actual behavior or action that follows the cue. It’s the habitual activity that you perform in response to the cue.

Salience

The salience of an object refers to its distinctiveness, prominence, and/or obviousness. In psychology, this term refers to any aspect of an object that makes it noticeable from the rest. Many factors can influence the salience of an object (within NP, usually a food), and the salience of an object can occur not simply because the object itself stands out because of its physical features (i.e., color, size, etc.). Still, rather, salience can be influenced by one’s interests, motivations, and previous experiences. For example, when you decide to purchase a certain car, you notice that car type on the road more often.

Satiation

The feeling of fullness that occurs during a meal letting you know that you’ve eaten enough and don’t want to eat anymore. Think “at the end of a meal.”

Satiety

Satiety is a feeling of “fullness” that occurs after an eating episode and has an appetite-suppressant effect (Booth, 2003).

Satiety Cascade

The satiety cascade is a conceptual model describing the sequence of physiological and psychological signals that arise during and after eating and that progressively reduce the desire to eat, bringing a meal to an end and delaying the onset of the next one. The satiety cascade frames appetite control as a series of overlapping stages, beginning with sensory and cognitive responses to food (sight, smell, expectations), continuing through gastric and intestinal responses during digestion, and extending to post-absorptive metabolic and hormonal signals.

These integrated signals jointly determine satiation (meal termination and meal size) and post-meal satiety (how long hunger is suppressed before the next eating occasion).

Satiety hormones

Satiety hormones promote feelings of fullness and satisfaction after eating. Hormones like cholecystokinin (CCK) and leptin fall into this category.

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia, which derives from the Greek words “schízein” (splitting) and “phrḗn” (mind), is a severe psychotic disorder characterized by significant deficits in cognition, behavior, and social functioning (Gaebel & Kerst, 2018; McCutcheon et al., 2020).

Secretory Immunoglobulin A (sIgA)

sIgA is an antibody secreted by plasma cells into the gut lumen. It forms a protective barrier against harmful pathogens that enter the gut through the mouth or skin. sIgA is present in bodily secretions such as saliva, tears, and breast milk (Mantis et al., 2011),.

Secure Attachment Style

Secure attachment style is characterized by low anxiety and low avoidance. It develops when caregivers provide consistent warmth, safety, and responsiveness, enabling the child to form trust and effective self-soothing abilities.

Editorial Board

Executive and Associate Editors

Co-Principal Editors:
Ephi Morphew-Lu
The Center for Nutritional Psychology
Shereen Behairy
The Center for Nutritional Psychology
Associate Editors: Nabila Pervaiz
The Center for Nutritional Psychology
Technical Support: Tahir Yasin
The Center for Nutritional Psychology

Subject Editors

Psychology: Vladimir Hedrih
University of Niš, Faculty of Philosophy, Department of Psychology
Nutrition and Dietetics: Eileen Santana
The Center for Nutritional Psychology
Nutritional Immunology: Emilia Vassiloupolou
Department of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, School of Health Sciences, International Hellenic University, 57400 Thessaloniki, Greece and Department of Clinical Sciences and Community Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, 20122 Milan, Italy