Evaluative conditioning interventions: A systematic review and meta-analysis focused on attitudinal and behavioral change outcomes

Evaluative conditioning (EC) procedures involve repeatedly pairing target objects with positive or negative stimuli to alter individuals' responses to those objects. A large body of research has tested whether EC procedures are efficient at modifying existing evaluations and, as a result, can reduce undesired behaviors or enhance desirable behaviors across diverse domains. The present systematic review and meta-analysis examined the efficacy of EC procedures as interventions to induce attitudinal and behavioral change. The systematic review (115 studies from 78 reports) addressed questions related to the topics of the interventions, the theoretical rationale for using EC-based procedures, variations in procedures and measures, and evidence of the interventions' long-term effects and their impact beyond the laboratory. The meta-analysis (including 505 effect sizes from 23,845 participants) found an overall small and significant effect of EC-based interventions (Hedges's g = 0.21). Analyses revealed some evidence favoring publication bias, including when controlling for significant moderators, but heterogeneity among the studies prevents a definitive conclusion. Results further revealed a more substantial effect on attitudinal and behavioral measures than behavioral intention measures, a larger effect on implicit evaluation than explicit evaluation measurements, and larger effects on immediate than delayed measurements. Overall, the results suggest that EC procedures are minimally efficient as a strategy for inducing attitudinal and behavioral changes. Future research could benefit from conducting field studies and examining how other factors, such as individual characteristics, might enhance the efficacy of EC-based interventions. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).