Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1
Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, Persian Gulf University, Bushehr, Iran.
2
M.A. student, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, Persian Gulf University, Bushehr, Iran.
3
M.A student, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, Persian Gulf University, Bushehr, Iran.
10.22108/cbs.2026.146999.2088
Abstract
Although obesity is associated with psychological and physical consequences, the quantity and quality of these consequences, especially psychological consequences, depend on the individual's perspective on obesity and physical appearance. Therefore, cognitive biases regarding physical appearance can exacerbate the physical and psychological consequences of obesity. This research was conducted to investigate the effect of cognitive bias modification regarding physical appearance on cognitive flexibility and physical activity in obese women attending fitness clubs. The statistical population of the present study, which was conducted in a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test and post-test and control group, included overweight women aged 18 to 55 attending fitness clubs in Shiraz in the first half of the year 1401 (2022). From the mentioned statistical population, 40 individuals were purposefully selected and randomly assigned to two groups: experimental and control (20 participants in each). The experimental group underwent cognitive bias modification intervention using Dot-prob software, while the control group participated in regular club activities. Data were collected using the Cognitive Flexibility Inventory (CFI) and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and analyzed through Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) in SPSS-22. The results indicated that cognitive bias modification significantly increased cognitive flexibility and physical activity in the experimental group compared to the control group (P<0/05). Interventions aimed at correcting cognitive biases related to body appearance reduce these biases, paving the way for increased cognitive flexibility and ultimately leading to more physical activity, thus making weight control programs more effective.
Keywords
Main Subjects
)