"...Journal of Consumer Research examines one way that people help themselves to overcome temptations. A real temptation is one that has some aspect to it that conflicts directly with a long-term goal you want to satisfy...The authors find that when people are trying to pursue an important long-term goal, they change the way they think about temptations in ways that make the temptations seem more damaging to the long-term goal." - Lit

imagine that: psychology starts to comprehend the power of belief. not just guilt as Freud used to say - NoahDavidSimon

think about it. G-d is a long time goal. - NoahDavidSimon

If you (Noah David Simon) don't have anything intellectual to add to the topic refrain from commenting...your commentary is simple-minded and ignorant. You clearly do not understand psychology and cognitive science. I checked out your page and you clearly have a very narrow view of many things, not understanding enough about many of them to add to any comprehensive discussion. - Lit

there is always something to say... but I do not have much of a response to personal attacks. have a nice life - The Black Book

For those who say I shouldn't make personal attacks against others. I am tired of repeatedly hearing uneducated people babble their ideology, hate, and ignorance...furthermore, if you slander my profession and know little to nothing of about it, I will call you out on it. - Lit

That's quite interesting that the difference is seen only if the cookie can be eaten. Does it mean that the perception of the cookie is changed while its "subjective nature" (if it is a neutral object or a potential valuable unconditioned stimulus/reinforcer) changes? I would then wonder if the dopamine system play a role in this form of change of perception... - Julien Colomb

another thing: Could we find connection with the food craving effect: would the presence of chocolate odor strengthen or weakened the perceived calories content? Would it move the focus of the test subject from objective representation to potential US- or would the odor have a pure craving effect pushing the people to want to eat it more and maybe decrease their estimate of the calories ?? - Julien Colomb

I do think that here the association of value, dopamine, as well as other mechanisms of the reward system likely play a role in influencing behavior. - Lit

For the second curiosity, I do think it would be more difficult to pinpoint such things. The brain's organic make-up between individual is so different (eg drug-addiction susceptibility differences). Perhaps you could prove me wrong with your findings after doing research in such areas. - Lit

I would have to find long term goals in fruit flies... flies do not go on diet, unfortunately :-) - Julien Colomb

Haha, I see okay...well I looked up some of your work The biology of psychology: 'Simple' conditiong?, Parametric and genetic analysis of Drosophila..., etc. I plan to read what you've found. - Lit