Choosing a sugary sensation has nothing to do with hunger, research shows. Photo / Thinkstock
It’s chores involving hard work, rather than hunger, that lead us to chocolate.
Grabbing that chocolate bar at the supermarket checkout or raiding the work vending machine at 3pm is the brain's fault - not the belly's.
American research has found the tired feeling at the end of an activity such as filing taxes, finishing a report or doing the weekly grocery shop leads to an impulsive purchase.
Choosing a sugary sensation has nothing to do with hunger.
A New Zealand PhD student is looking further at the link between cognitive fatigue, decision making and our lack of self-control when it comes to sweet treats.
Otago University student Shannon Tumataroa is researching how cognitive fatigue - or the familiar feeling of being "brain dead" at the end of a difficult activity - affects the decision-making process.
She is also researching how financial hardship makes impulse buying more likely.
"When you have less money to go around, every single purchasing decision becomes a difficult activity," Tumataroa says.
"This could mean people with money problems are experiencing a lack mental energy as well.
"They are more likely to struggle to resist the checkout chocolate bar after a mentally draining day."
Tumataroa says the more often people can resist the urge to impulse-buy after a difficult decision-making process, the more self-control they will have in the future.
"Removing the decision, like going to the sweet-free aisle at the supermarket, is the best option," she says.
"The brain cannot always be trusted."
Tumataroa has moved to Auckland to complete her study and is looking for 40-50 people aged over 25 to undergo a one-hour test on cognitive fatigue.
But, she warns, chocolate is not included.
To participate in the research call 020 4036 7769.
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