Abstract
The current study examined the relationships of motor, nonplanning, and attentional impulsivity to external and emotional eating among restrained eaters. Data were collected from a female college sample of restrained eaters (N=90). Aspects of impulsivity and disordered eating were assessed using the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, Version 11, the Attentional Control Scale and the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire. Significant correlations emerged between eating disturbances and different types of impulsivity. The results indicated that restrained eating is associated with motor and attentional forms of impulsivity. Emotional eating appears to be linked to both attentional and motor impulsivity whereas external eating seems to be linked only to motor impulsivity. Future studies should explore which aspects of disinhibited eating among restrained eaters are best predicted by a tendency to act impulsively.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
References
Rosval L, Steiger H, Bruce K, et al. Impulsivity in women with eating disorders: Problem of response inhibition, planning, or attention? Int J Eat Disord 2006; 39: 590–3.
Kane TA, Loxton NJ, Staiger PK, et al. Does the tendency to act impulsively underlie binge eating and alcohol use problems? An empirical investigation. Pers Individ Dif 2004; 36: 83–94.
Herman CP, Mack D. Restrained and unrestrained eating. J Pers 1975; 43: 647–60.
Williams JMG, Healy H, Eade JG, et al. Mood, eating behaviour and attention. Psychol Med 2002; 32: 469–81.
Jansen A, Nederkoorn C, van Baak L, et al. Highrestrained eaters only overeat when they are also impulsive. Behav Res Ther 2009; 47: 105–10.
Nederkoorn C, Van Eijs Y, Jansen A. Restrained eaters act on impulse. Pers Individ Dif 2004; 37: 1651–8.
Patton JH, Stanford MS, Barratt ES. Factor structure of the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale. J Clin Psychol 1995; 51: 768–74.
Van Strien T, Frijters JER, Bergers GPA, et al. The Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire (DEBQ) for assessment of restrained, emotional, and external eating behavior. Int J Eat Disord 1986; 5: 295–315.
Polivy J, Herman CP, Howard K. The Restraint Scale: Assessment of dieting. In: Hersen M, Bellack S (Eds) Dictionary of behavioural assessment techniques. New York, Pergamon, 1988, pp 377–80.
Mann T, Ward A. To Eat or Not to Eat: Implications of the attentional myopia model for restrained eaters. J Abnorm Psychol 2004; 113: 90–8.
Derryberry D, Reed MA. Anxiety-related attentional biases and their regulation by attentional control. J Abnorm Psychol 2002; 111: 225–36.
Heatherton TF, Baumeister RF. Binge-eating as an escape from self-awareness. Psychol Bull 1991; 110: 86–108.
Bekker MHJ, van de Meerendonk C, Mollerus J. Effects of negative mood induction and impulsivity on self-perceived emotional eating. Int J Eat Disord 2004; 36: 461–9.
Boon B, Stroebe W, Schut H, et al. Food for thought: Cognitive regulation of food intake. Br J Health Psychol 1998; 3: 27–40.
Guerrieri R, Nederkoorn C, Stankiewicz K, et al. The influence of trait and induced state impulsivity on food intake in normal-weight healthy women. Appetite 2007; 49: 66–73.
Van Strien T, Herman CP, Engels R, et al. Construct validation of the Restraint Scale in normal-weight and overweight females. Appetite 2007; 49: 109–21.
Stunkard AJ, Messick S. The three-factor eating questionnaire to measure dietary restraint, disinhibition and hunger. J Psychosom Res 1985; 29: 71–83.
Stice E, Cooper JA, Schoeller DA, et al. Are dietary restraint scales valid measures of moderate- to longterm dietary restriction? Objective biological and behavioral data suggest not. Psychol Assess 2007; 19: 449–58.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ebneter, D., Latner, J., Rosewall, J. et al. Impulsivity in restrained eaters: Emotional and external eating are associated with attentional and motor impulsivity. Eat Weight Disord 17, e62–e65 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03325330
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03325330