In the proof-of-concept study reversing aversion, what action successfully restored the hedonic value of a meal previously paired with a fat overload?
Answer
Explaining the experimental setup to the participants
The cognitive repair research demonstrated that for certain aversions, intellectual knowledge is a powerful deconditioning element. In the study involving healthy women, the negative association created by pairing a favorite meal with an artificially induced sickness (hidden fat overload) was reversed simply by explaining the conditioning paradigm to the subjects. This disclosure allowed participants to rationally refute the emotional bias, understanding that the sickness was manufactured and the food's taste was not inherently harmful. This process highlights the role of metacognition—the ability to reflect upon and override an emotional response—in overcoming aversion.

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