Richard Lopez
@richlopez41.bsky.social
Assistant Professor of Psychology & Neuroscience • Director of the SNAP Lab at WPI (https://wp.wpi.edu/snaplab/) • Social neuroscientist studying emotions, digital media use, and mental health • FirstGen
Major thanks to @kaitlynmwerner.bsky.social for her equal contributions to this project, as well as to our amazing team of co-authors: @wilhelmhofmann.bsky.social, @blairsaunders.bsky.social, Gabriel Traub, and @dcosme.bsky.social. 8/9
October 2, 2025 at 12:12 PM
Major thanks to @kaitlynmwerner.bsky.social for her equal contributions to this project, as well as to our amazing team of co-authors: @wilhelmhofmann.bsky.social, @blairsaunders.bsky.social, Gabriel Traub, and @dcosme.bsky.social. 8/9
The takeaway: Effective behavior change isn't about finding one "best" strategy. It's about having a toolbox of techniques and understanding that focusing on resisting unhealthy options can surprisingly boost your healthy eating goals. 7/9
October 2, 2025 at 12:12 PM
The takeaway: Effective behavior change isn't about finding one "best" strategy. It's about having a toolbox of techniques and understanding that focusing on resisting unhealthy options can surprisingly boost your healthy eating goals. 7/9
🎯 The target matters most. Training focused on unhealthy foods had stronger and more persistent effects than training focused on healthy foods. It also led to positive "transfer effects," increasing craving and consumption of healthy foods. 6/9
October 2, 2025 at 12:12 PM
🎯 The target matters most. Training focused on unhealthy foods had stronger and more persistent effects than training focused on healthy foods. It also led to positive "transfer effects," increasing craving and consumption of healthy foods. 6/9
❌ But, "earlier is better" isn't the full story. Contrary to some theorizing, situational strategies were not consistently more effective than cognitive reappraisal. Flexibility in your approach may be key. 5/9
October 2, 2025 at 12:12 PM
❌ But, "earlier is better" isn't the full story. Contrary to some theorizing, situational strategies were not consistently more effective than cognitive reappraisal. Flexibility in your approach may be key. 5/9
We found that:
✅ Both strategies tend to work. Training in either was generally better than no training at promoting healthier eating habits... 4/9
✅ Both strategies tend to work. Training in either was generally better than no training at promoting healthier eating habits... 4/9
October 2, 2025 at 12:12 PM
We found that:
✅ Both strategies tend to work. Training in either was generally better than no training at promoting healthier eating habits... 4/9
✅ Both strategies tend to work. Training in either was generally better than no training at promoting healthier eating habits... 4/9
We trained people in two types of self-regulation strategies:
🔹 Situational strategies (e.g., not buying highly-processed, calorie-dense food in the first place)
🔹 Cognitive reappraisal (e.g., reframing how you think about repeatedly eating a particular food) 3/9
🔹 Situational strategies (e.g., not buying highly-processed, calorie-dense food in the first place)
🔹 Cognitive reappraisal (e.g., reframing how you think about repeatedly eating a particular food) 3/9
October 2, 2025 at 12:12 PM
We trained people in two types of self-regulation strategies:
🔹 Situational strategies (e.g., not buying highly-processed, calorie-dense food in the first place)
🔹 Cognitive reappraisal (e.g., reframing how you think about repeatedly eating a particular food) 3/9
🔹 Situational strategies (e.g., not buying highly-processed, calorie-dense food in the first place)
🔹 Cognitive reappraisal (e.g., reframing how you think about repeatedly eating a particular food) 3/9
In our longitudinal intervention study in Appetite (www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...) 2/9
Training self-regulation to promote healthy eating: Evidence from a longitudinal intervention study
Previous theorizing suggests that self-regulatory strategies in the appetitive domain may be variably effective, but few studies have directly examine…
www.sciencedirect.com
October 2, 2025 at 12:12 PM
In our longitudinal intervention study in Appetite (www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...) 2/9
Major thanks to @kaitlynmwerner.bsky.social for her equal contributions to this project, as well as to our amazing team of co-authors: @wilhelmhofmann.bsky.social, @blairsaunders.bsky.social, Gabriel Traub, and @dcosme.bsky.social! 8/9
October 2, 2025 at 12:07 PM
Major thanks to @kaitlynmwerner.bsky.social for her equal contributions to this project, as well as to our amazing team of co-authors: @wilhelmhofmann.bsky.social, @blairsaunders.bsky.social, Gabriel Traub, and @dcosme.bsky.social! 8/9
The takeaway: Effective behavior change isn't about finding one "best" strategy. It's about having a toolbox of techniques and understanding that focusing on resisting unhealthy options can surprisingly boost your healthy eating goals. 7/9
October 2, 2025 at 12:07 PM
The takeaway: Effective behavior change isn't about finding one "best" strategy. It's about having a toolbox of techniques and understanding that focusing on resisting unhealthy options can surprisingly boost your healthy eating goals. 7/9
🎯 The target matters most. Training focused on unhealthy foods had stronger and more persistent effects than training focused on healthy foods. It also led to positive "transfer effects," increasing craving and consumption of healthy foods. 6/9
October 2, 2025 at 12:07 PM
🎯 The target matters most. Training focused on unhealthy foods had stronger and more persistent effects than training focused on healthy foods. It also led to positive "transfer effects," increasing craving and consumption of healthy foods. 6/9
❌ But, "earlier is better" isn't the full story. Contrary to some theorizing, situational strategies were not consistently more effective than cognitive reappraisal. Flexibility in your approach may be key. 5/9
October 2, 2025 at 12:07 PM
❌ But, "earlier is better" isn't the full story. Contrary to some theorizing, situational strategies were not consistently more effective than cognitive reappraisal. Flexibility in your approach may be key. 5/9
We found that:
✅ Both strategies tend to work. Training in either was generally better than no training at promoting healthier eating habits... 4/9
✅ Both strategies tend to work. Training in either was generally better than no training at promoting healthier eating habits... 4/9
October 2, 2025 at 12:07 PM
We found that:
✅ Both strategies tend to work. Training in either was generally better than no training at promoting healthier eating habits... 4/9
✅ Both strategies tend to work. Training in either was generally better than no training at promoting healthier eating habits... 4/9
We trained people in two types of self-regulation strategies:
🔹 Situational strategies (e.g., not buying highly-processed, calorie-dense food in the first place)
🔹 Cognitive reappraisal (e.g., reframing how you think about repeatedly eating a particular food) 3/9
🔹 Situational strategies (e.g., not buying highly-processed, calorie-dense food in the first place)
🔹 Cognitive reappraisal (e.g., reframing how you think about repeatedly eating a particular food) 3/9
October 2, 2025 at 12:07 PM
We trained people in two types of self-regulation strategies:
🔹 Situational strategies (e.g., not buying highly-processed, calorie-dense food in the first place)
🔹 Cognitive reappraisal (e.g., reframing how you think about repeatedly eating a particular food) 3/9
🔹 Situational strategies (e.g., not buying highly-processed, calorie-dense food in the first place)
🔹 Cognitive reappraisal (e.g., reframing how you think about repeatedly eating a particular food) 3/9
In our longitudinal intervention study in Appetite www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...) 2/9
Training self-regulation to promote healthy eating: Evidence from a longitudinal intervention study
Previous theorizing suggests that self-regulatory strategies in the appetitive domain may be variably effective, but few studies have directly examine…
www.sciencedirect.com
October 2, 2025 at 12:07 PM
In our longitudinal intervention study in Appetite www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...) 2/9
How we choose to spend our time and attention online and offline has never been more important. 2/2 #TEDxTalks #TEDx #socialconnection #digitalage #humanconnection
youtu.be/b-r6q7ie_yA?...
youtu.be/b-r6q7ie_yA?...
Reimagining social connection in the digital age | Richard Lopez | TEDxBard College
YouTube video by TEDx Talks
youtu.be
August 12, 2025 at 12:47 PM
How we choose to spend our time and attention online and offline has never been more important. 2/2 #TEDxTalks #TEDx #socialconnection #digitalage #humanconnection
youtu.be/b-r6q7ie_yA?...
youtu.be/b-r6q7ie_yA?...
I hope it will drive meaningful progress in research and policymaking, while also serving as a catalyst for broader, collaborative efforts to build nuanced consensus on other critical topics. #TeamScience #SocialMedia #MentalHealth #PolicyForGood
May 16, 2025 at 4:44 PM
I hope it will drive meaningful progress in research and policymaking, while also serving as a catalyst for broader, collaborative efforts to build nuanced consensus on other critical topics. #TeamScience #SocialMedia #MentalHealth #PolicyForGood