TESTS OF A MEDIATIONAL MODEL OF RESTRAINED EATING - THE ROLE OF DIETING SELF-EFFICACY AND SOCIAL COMPARISONS

A variety of stimuli have been found to lead to disregulated eating among restrained eaters. However, little research has addressed the mechanisms that may underlie such effects. The present study suggests that an individual's expectancy about ability to control eating may mediate the influence of such stimuli on eating behavior. The participants were 249 undergraduate females, classified as either restrained or unrestrained eaters. Subjects were exposed to a female confederate who has made to appear either attractive or unattractive. Measures of the subjects' dieting self-efficacy and negative mood were taken, and subjects were given the opportunity to consume a variety of snack foods. Results supported a model in which exposure to an unattractive target led to increased negative affect, which in turn led to decreased dieting self-efficacy. This change in dieting self-efficacy was found to lead to increased food consumption. The model was supported only for women who were restrained eaters. This research suggests that cognitive factors play an important role in the cycles of restraint and disregulation experienced by many dieting women. Further, it appears that dieting places women at risk for potentially negative consequences of otherwise normative behavior, such as engaging in social comparisons.