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Food-Specific and General Cognitive Control Variables Moderate Relations Between Emotion Dysregulation and Eating Pathology: Cross-Sectional Findings in an Online Community Sample of Adults with Overweight/Obesity

Barnhart, Wesley Ryan
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9809-5225
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1636915879702153

Abstract Details

2021, Master of Arts (MA), Bowling Green State University, Psychology/Clinical.
Binge eating is present in people with overweight/obesity and clinical eating disorders and is positively associated with negative psychological and physiological health outcomes. Research supports the separate contributions of emotion dysregulation and deficits in inhibitory control and working memory in relation to binge eating among adults with overweight/obesity. Supported by theory of cognitive control of emotion regulation, the present study examined emotion dysregulation and deficits in inhibitory control and working memory as correlates of binge eating among adults with overweight/obesity. Findings also addressed a gap in the literature around the precise nature of inhibitory control and working memory deficits in relation to binge eating, specifically if these deficits are bound to food or general information, or both. A cross-sectional study was employed using an online community sample of adults with overweight/obesity in the United States. Participants (N = 204) completed demographics, anthropometrics (i.e., BMI), and measures assessing emotion dysregulation (Difficulties in Emotional Regulation Scale), inhibitory control (go/no-go task, food and general stimuli), working memory (N-Back Task, food and general stimuli), and binge eating (Binge Eating Scale). Confirmatory moderation analyses were calculated to examine inhibitory control (food-specific and general deficits) and working memory (food-specific and general deficits) as moderators of the relation between emotion dysregulation and binge eating. Exploratory moderation analyses assessing the relation between emotion dysregulation and disordered eating (Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire) were calculated with inhibitory control and working memory as moderators, again across food-specific and general stimuli. Findings provide preliminary evidence for both food-specific and general inhibitory control and working memory deficits to strengthen the relations between emotion dysregulation and eating pathology, including binge eating severity and disordered eating, in adults with overweight/obesity. Findings provide support for the utility of the cognitive control of emotion regulation model of eating pathology in adults with overweight/obesity and suggest that both food-specific and general inhibitory control and working memory deficits moderate relations between emotion dysregulation and eating pathology. By extension, prevention and intervention research targeting inhibitory control and working memory deficits may yield therapeutic benefit by weakening the relation between emotion dysregulation and eating pathology among adults with overweight/obesity.
Abby Braden, Ph.D. (Advisor)
Joshua Grubbs, Ph.D. (Committee Chair)
Dara Musher-Eizenman, Ph.D. (Committee Chair)
121 p.
Psychology
binge eating; inhibitory control; working memory; disordered eating; eating pathology; adults with overweight/obesity

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Barnhart, W. R. (2021). Food-Specific and General Cognitive Control Variables Moderate Relations Between Emotion Dysregulation and Eating Pathology: Cross-Sectional Findings in an Online Community Sample of Adults with Overweight/Obesity [Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1636915879702153

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Barnhart, Wesley. Food-Specific and General Cognitive Control Variables Moderate Relations Between Emotion Dysregulation and Eating Pathology: Cross-Sectional Findings in an Online Community Sample of Adults with Overweight/Obesity. 2021. Bowling Green State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1636915879702153.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Barnhart, Wesley. "Food-Specific and General Cognitive Control Variables Moderate Relations Between Emotion Dysregulation and Eating Pathology: Cross-Sectional Findings in an Online Community Sample of Adults with Overweight/Obesity." Master's thesis, Bowling Green State University, 2021. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1636915879702153

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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This open access ETD is published by Bowling Green State University and OhioLINK.
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