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Beyond calories: the role of media pressure and body appreciation in shaping time perception of food cues in female adolescents
Understanding time perception involves examining cognitive processes that are significantly influenced by emotional and psychosocial elements, particularly during the formative adolescent years. The current research investigates the specific impact of high-calorie food imagery on this cognitive construct among female adolescents aged 14 to 19. Conducted in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of southeastern France, the study included 55 participants who completed a temporal bisection task using various food images.
Alongside the task, participants completed several assessments: the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire, the Body Appreciation Scale, and the SCOFF Questionnaire (Sick, Control, One, Fat, Food). Findings revealed that exposure to high-calorie food images led the participants to significantly overestimate time durations compared to when they were shown low-calorie food images. This distortion in time perception was exacerbated by higher levels of perceived media pressure. Interestingly, a higher sense of body appreciation appeared to mitigate this overestimation to some extent.
The conclusions drawn from this study suggest that sociocultural influences can reshape cognitive frameworks, particularly in how individuals relate to food. These findings underscore an urgent need for proactive bio-psycho-social interventions aimed at adolescents, especially given their heightened vulnerability to media influences and body image concerns. Further research employing longitudinal or experimental methodologies will be essential to clarify the causal relationships at play.
Year: 2026
