That last square of chocolate for dessert or that last hour on social media when you really wanted to go to bed: this essentially self-defeating behaviour is known to science as hedonic overconsumption. My team and I wanted to know more about why we sometimes indulge.
In two studies, we first found that people find consumption less satisfying when they are distracted. For example, lunch is less enjoyable if you watch a YouTube video while eating, and the enjoyment of a TV evening suffers if you think about the next day at work. In our studies, this disappointment led our study participants to engage in more unhealthy behaviours afterwards: for example, they ate more and unhealthier snacks in the afternoon after their unsatisfying lunch, or they watched TV again late the next day, even though they had resolved to do the opposite.
This behaviour can be explained by the fact that we are trying to regain the pleasure we have ‘lost’. This is often done without considering long-term health goals or even ignoring satiety signals. Understanding this compensation effect can help to curb problematic behaviours such as excessive media use or binge eating. So, in principle, it helps to minimise distractions during pleasurable activities and pay attention to what you are doing. If that fails, you can always work on your satisfaction with the experience afterwards to avoid the risk of overcompensating.