Rachelle de Vries PhD

Bio

Dr. Rachelle de Vries is a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Communication and Cognition of Tilburg University, investigating personalized digital (just-in-time) nudges for healthy food choice. 

Expertise

From 2017 to 2021, Rachelle conducted her doctoral research at Wageningen University & Research on the existence of an automatic prioritization or “bias” in human memory for the locations of high-calorie foods, and implications of this cognitive bias for individuals’ eating behaviour (e.g. food search, food choice, BMI). Several studies from her PhD work have been highlighted by popular media outlets. Link to PhD dissertation: https://edepot.wur.nl/547038

Currently, Rachelle assesses the efficacy and underlying mechanisms of personalized novel (i.e. "just-in-time") cognitive nudges that stimulate healthy food choice in digital food environments, using various methodologies (e.g. lab and field studies). Her postdoctoral research project also aims to investigate the impact of transparency on the effects of such nudges. 

Teaching

With regards to educational activities, Rachelle regularly supervises BSc and MSc student projects at Tilburg University.

Courses

• Health Communication

Highlights

Selection of media coverage:

• Scientific American (2020). Our Brain Is Better at Remembering Where to Find Brownies Than Cherry Tomatoes. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/our-brain-is-better-at-remembering-where-to-find-brownies-than-cherry-tomatoes/
• The New York Times (2020). Where’d I Stash That Chocolate? It’s Easy to Remember. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/13/well/eat/chocolate-memory-mind-psychology-calories.html
• New Scientist NL (2020). Mensen onthouden onbewust beter waar calorierijk voedsel te vinden is.https://www.newscientist.nl/nieuws/mensen-onthouden-onbewust-beter-waar-calorierijk-voedsel-te-vinden-is/
• Het Parool (2021). We onthouden calorierijk eten beter dan caloriearm eten | Het Parool

Recent publications

1. Scoping literature review and focus groups with healthcare profession…

   Koetsier, L. W., Van Den Eynde, E., Van Mil, E. G. A. H., Van Der Velde, M., De Vries, R., Baan, C. A., Seidell, J. C., & Halberstadt, J. (2023). Scoping literature review and focus groups with healthcare professionals on psychosocial and lifestyle assessments for childhood obesity care. BMC Health Services Research, 23, Article 125.

2. Healthcare workers’ acceptability of influenza vaccination nudges: Ev…

   de Vries, R., van den Hoven, M., de Ridder, D. T. D., Verweij, M., & de Vet, E. (2022). Healthcare workers’ acceptability of influenza vaccination nudges: Evaluation of a real-world intervention. Preventive Medicine Reports, 29.

3. Human spatial memory is biased towards high-calorie foods - a cross-c…

   de Vries, R., Boesveldt, S., & de Vet, E. (2022). Human spatial memory is biased towards high-calorie foods: a cross-cultural online experiment. Int J Behav Nutr Phys Act, 19.

4. Wired for harsh food environments - Human spatial memory favours the …

   de Vries, R., Boesveldt, S., Sotomayor Sainz, A., Copier, J., & de Vet, E. (2022). Wired for harsh food environments: Human spatial memory favours the effortless location and consumption of high-calorie foods. Food Quality and Preference, 97, Article 104478.

5. Locating calories: Does the high-calorie bias in human spatial memory…

   de Vries, R., Boesveldt, S., & de Vet, E. (2021). Locating calories: Does the high-calorie bias in human spatial memory influence how we navigate the modern food environment? Food Quality and Preference.