Assessment of Automatically Activated Approach–Avoidance Biases Across Appetitive Substances

Purpose of Review
Automatic approach–avoidance tendencies drive excessive intake of drugs and unhealthy food. Dual-process models of behaviour propose that strong approach biases predict excessive intake when reflective processes are weak. Consistent with theory, early findings indicated that approach biases predicted excessive use of drugs, including alcohol and tobacco. Given that reviews on approach bias for appetitive substances are lacking, the current review aimed to synthesise the recent findings on automatic approach biases across three of the most commonly assessed substances: alcohol, food and tobacco.

Recent Findings
The findings suggest that approach biases exist for a range of substances, are mostly stronger in clinical samples than healthy controls and predict consumption behaviour, albeit under certain conditions.

Summary
Approach biases for appetitive substances are related to excessive consumption in line with theoretical premises. Further longitudinal research is needed, particularly in the domains of tobacco and food, to determine the prediction of consumption of these substances over time. Nevertheless, the findings highlight a continued need for approach bias modification techniques aimed at changing this underlying mechanism.