Emotional eating, or eating in response to negative emotions, represents a valuable construct of study due to its transdiagnostic nature (Habhab, Sheldon, & Loeb, 2009; Masheb & Grilo, 2006) and associations with obesity (Laitinen, Ek, & Sovio, 2002). As such, research on emotional eating could inform interventions that would be applicable to individuals with both full threshold and subclinical eating pathology. While research supports a relationship between increased negative affect and emotional eating, limited empirical work has tested the role of cognitive biases in the link between negative affect and emotional eating. This represents an important avenue for research due to the theoretical role cognitive biases play in models of binge eating (Heatherton & Baumeister, 1991). The present study recruited N = 90 women as either control (n=40) or emotional eating participants (n=50) to complete a self-report questionnaire battery, an implicit computer test of cognitive biases, a speech task stress induction, and an ad lib test meal. Participants with emotional eating had higher levels of negative affect and cognitive biases than individuals without such symptoms. Implicit and explicit cognitive biases significantly mediated the relationship between group and global negative affect. However, negative affect did not significantly mediate the relationship between cognitive biases and food consumption following stress. Given that our hypotheses were partially supported, further examination of the relationship between cognitive biases and emotional eating is warranted to determine if there is potential benefit in modifying cognitive biases to reduce emotional eating symptoms. / A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Psychology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester 2018. / May 14, 2018. / Includes bibliographical references. / Pamela K. Keel, Professor Directing Dissertation; Debra Fadool, University Representative; Thomas Joiner, Committee Member; Walter Boot, Committee Member; Jesse Cougle, Committee Member.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_647250 |
| Contributors | Klein, Kelly M. (Kelly Marie) (author), Keel, Pamela K., 1970- (professor directing dissertation), Fadool, Debra Ann (university representative), Joiner, Thomas (committee member), Boot, Walter Richard (committee member), Cougle, Jesse R., 1975- (committee member), Florida State University (degree granting institution), College of Arts and Sciences (degree granting college), Department of Psychology (degree granting departmentdgg) |
| Publisher | Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, text, doctoral thesis |
| Format | 1 online resource (82 pages), computer, application/pdf |
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