Food Reward

A food reward aims to reinforce or strengthen a behavior through food. For example, a food reward is often used to reinforce a desirable behavior such as achievements or compliance (e.g., a pizza party for elementary students completing a book challenge). Food rewards are frequently used in shaping behavior because food is a primary reinforcer. As a primary reinforcer, food is biologically preestablished to be rewarding. Food satisfies the biological drive of hunger, although further investigation suggests that food rewards are commonly used in the absence of hunger. In many cases, food is eaten for its pleasurable reward of palatability rather than nutritional value. There are two components of eating behavior that explain how food acts as a reward: pleasure of eating, and biological need to eat.

Parenting techniques commonly utilize food rewards. Food can be used to encourage a child to perform a needed task or to maintain good behavior. This practice of using food as a reward is also referred to as instrumental feeding. Baughcum and colleagues conducted focus groups investigating maternal feeding practices inclusive of food to shape behavior. This study found that mothers used food to quiet a fussy baby or a toddler's tantrum rather than using food to satisfy the child's hunger. When a parent grants a food reward to a child who is acting out, the food reward reinforces the bad behavior. [Page 300]This form of rewarding is not effective in maintaining the desired behavior, and instead, reinforces the negative behavior.

Giving food as a reward for particular behavior can strengthen a person's view of that food item.

Food rewards are problematic by interfering with an individual's ability to regulate physiological hunger over psychological food cravings. Regulating food consumption based on biological need versus the pleasure of eating can be shaped at a young age. Parental feeding studies have shown that food control through reward and punishment during childhood can influence eating behaviors in adulthood. Puhl and Schwartz found that parental food control through reward and punishment places children at higher rates for binge eating and dietary restraint later in adulthood. This finding is consistent with previous research which suggests food in a reward system alters a person's ability to self-regulate food intake based on hunger cues.

Food preferences for rewarding foods are selected primarily for taste. A food reward is commonly a favorite high-calorie food choice. The learned association between appropriate behavior and an appetizing snack can generate food cravings without appetite signals. This drive to seek out desired foods can lead to eating in the absence of hunger and excessive eating.