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Objectives: The aim of Study One was to establish the construct validity of the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment Scale (URICA) for use with an eating disorders population. Once done, than to use the scale to assess changes in motivation due to a brief psycho-education (PE) intervention (Study Two). Method: Study One: Clinical data from 160 participants was analysed; 24 diagnosed with anorexia nervosa (AN), 44 diagnosed with bulimia nervosa (BN), and 88 diagnosed with eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS). Participants completed the URICA; the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-O); and the Stirling Eating Disorder Scales (SEDS). Study Two: Forty-five participants diagnosed with either AN, BN or EDNOS were recruited. Thirty-Two participants completed the URICA; EDE-Q; and SEDS at three time points; time1 (referral), time 2 (start of a 4-week group based Psycho-education (PE) intervention) and time 3 (end of PE intervention). Results: Study One: Similar to previous findings (McConnaughy et al., 1993, 1989), the URICA was found to be internally consistent (all coefficients exceeding 0.7) and principle component analysis revealed four stages of change (Precontemplation, Contemplation, Action and Maintenance) represented by high loadings on four distinct components. Adjacent stages of change were more highly correlated than non-adjacent stages. Study Two: Contrary to expectation, the PE intervention did not significantly enhance motivation for change. The PE intervention had no significant impact upon specific and non-specific eating disorder symptomatology. Conclusion: The URICA was found to be construct valid with individuals with a range of eating disorders. Further studies are required in order to justify the inclusion of a PE intervention as part of standard treatment for eating disorders.

The effect of stress on food intake varies across individuals, according to gender, bodyweight and eating style. However, little is known about the relative importance of these variables in stress-induced eating. Similarly, little research has addressed whether the effect of stress on intake differs according to stressor characteristics and food type. Psychological accounts of stress-induced eating have suggested a change in attentional processing of food stimuli when stressed, but this theory has not yet been directly tested. Physiological accounts of stress-induced eating propose that cortisol secretion during the physiological stress response has an appetitive effect, a theory that has received support from the laboratory, but has not been tested in the field. Six studies are presented in the present thesis, investigating the moderators and underlying mechanisms of stress-induced eating. Studies One and Two used questionnaire and diary methodologies to investigate the moderators of stress and snack intake. Study One indicated that increased intake was more prevalent in females and emotional eaters, and that the intake of crunchy foods particularly increased with stress. Study Two further highlighted that stressor type interacted with eating style, where emotional eaters, external eaters and disinhibitors increased intake in response to physical stressors, and high restrained eaters increased snack intake with work stressors. Studies Three, Four and Five investigated whether a change in attentional processes during stress could account for stress-induced intake in high external eaters. Study Three reported that external eaters increased their attention towards snack food words when stressed, while Study Four reported that external eaters attended towards unhealthy food words when stressed, but only at prolonged exposure times. Study Five did not provide further evidence for the theory, as stressed, external eaters did not attend towards food images. Study Six explored whether cortisol reactivity could account for stress-induced eating, comparing the snack intake of high and low cortisol reactors in response to laboratory and field stressors. The intake of high and low cortisol reactors did not differ in the laboratory. However, high reactors, but not low reactors, showed a positive association between hassles and snack intake in the field. The six studies combined to comprehensively investigate the moderators of stress-induced eating, and test two unexplored accounts of stress-induced eating, using both experimental and survey methodologies.

Studies suggest that the experience of anxiety or exposure to stressful events may contribute to the 'disinhibition' of dietary restraint (diet breaking) and promote symptoms of binge eating and bulimia. Mechanisms by which such factors lead to overeating are not clearly understood, and competing theoretical explanations have not been sufficiently tested using reliable and robust methodological approaches within the laboratory. The current research adopted a psychophysiological approach to the measurement of stress-eating and information processing, using an aggregation of experimental paradigms taken from cardiovascular/stress and dietary restraint literatures, to investigate the effects of self-directed ego threat stress on female restrained eaters, with and without bulimic symptoms. The first main aim was to test two competing theoretical explanations of overeating [bingeing] in response to stress - the limited capacity versus the 'escape' theory. Taken together, the results obtained from three experiments revealed only limited support for the limited capacity model. Some support was obtained for the 'escape' theory. These results were also discussed in relation to restraint theory, and the continuum and new generation cognitive models of BN. The second main aim was to ascertain the existence of information processing and memory biases for scheme-relevant cues unrelated to eating [self-directed ego threat] in the two target populations. Results from these analyses provided further support for restraint theory, the 'escape'theory of bingeing, and the continuum and new generation cognitive models of BN. Two more minor aims of the current research were a) to assess arousal responses in response to post-stress food ingestion in the two target populations, b) to assess whether temporal/habituation effects occurred in respect of information processing of ego-threat stimuli.

Due to the fact that there has been a dramatic increase in the number of adolescents with unhealthy eating habits there is a growing recognition on the part of professionals, educators and parents for the development and implementation of an intervention programme for the facilitation of healthy eating habits. Relevant literature on eating behaviour indicated that low self-concept is associated with health compromising behaviours such as unhealthy eating habits. The nature of self-concept and eating habits was explained in order to determine important exogenous and endogenous factors as well as perspectives to use as a background for the development of a Psychoeducational intervention programme. Theoretical principles and practical applications of cognitive-behaviour therapy and hypnotherapy were analysed and used as a foundation for the development of the intervention programme. The researcher developed an Interactionism Model of Self-concept and Eating habits and a Psycho-educational programme involving cognitive-behaviour therapy and hypnotherapy to improve eating habits of adolescents. Valid and reliable measuring instruments were used in order to measure self-concept and eating habits. A pre-test post-test design was implemented to nine participants using the Adolescent Self-concept Scale (ASCS), Eating Habits Questionnaire for Adolescents (EHQA) developed by the researcher (2001) and Body Mass Index (BMI). Diagnostic measuring instruments also included the Emotions Profile Index (EPI), Draw A Person (DAP), Sentence Completion, Dietary Record and interview. Results from the empirical study indicated that adolescents with low self-concept and unhealthy eating habits responded positively to the Psycho-educational programme involving cognitive-behaviour and hypnotherapy. Specifically, there was a significant increase in selfconcept and a satisfactory improvement in eating habits. Recommendations for psychotherapy practice, educators and parents were made, based on the current research results. The contribution of the study lies in the fact that a hands-on practical implementation of the Psycho-educational programme was developed to facilitate the improvement of eating habits and it further contributes to the psychological well-being and healthy life-style of adolescents having positive implications for society. / Educational Studies / D.Ed. (Psychology of Education)

Due to the fact that there has been a dramatic increase in the number of adolescents with unhealthy eating habits there is a growing recognition on the part of professionals, educators and parents for the development and implementation of an intervention programme for the facilitation of healthy eating habits. Relevant literature on eating behaviour indicated that low self-concept is associated with health compromising behaviours such as unhealthy eating habits. The nature of self-concept and eating habits was explained in order to determine important exogenous and endogenous factors as well as perspectives to use as a background for the development of a Psychoeducational intervention programme. Theoretical principles and practical applications of cognitive-behaviour therapy and hypnotherapy were analysed and used as a foundation for the development of the intervention programme. The researcher developed an Interactionism Model of Self-concept and Eating habits and a Psycho-educational programme involving cognitive-behaviour therapy and hypnotherapy to improve eating habits of adolescents. Valid and reliable measuring instruments were used in order to measure self-concept and eating habits. A pre-test post-test design was implemented to nine participants using the Adolescent Self-concept Scale (ASCS), Eating Habits Questionnaire for Adolescents (EHQA) developed by the researcher (2001) and Body Mass Index (BMI). Diagnostic measuring instruments also included the Emotions Profile Index (EPI), Draw A Person (DAP), Sentence Completion, Dietary Record and interview. Results from the empirical study indicated that adolescents with low self-concept and unhealthy eating habits responded positively to the Psycho-educational programme involving cognitive-behaviour and hypnotherapy. Specifically, there was a significant increase in selfconcept and a satisfactory improvement in eating habits. Recommendations for psychotherapy practice, educators and parents were made, based on the current research results. The contribution of the study lies in the fact that a hands-on practical implementation of the Psycho-educational programme was developed to facilitate the improvement of eating habits and it further contributes to the psychological well-being and healthy life-style of adolescents having positive implications for society. / Educational Studies / D.Ed. (Psychology of Education)