This thesis examined the effects of weight and dietary restraint on eating at times of emotional distress. The emotional reactivity of subjects differing in weight and restraint was also examined. Forty female and 40 male subjects were classified as high, moderate, or low on Body Mass Index (BMI), and as high, moderate, or low on each of the factors of the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ; Stunkard & Messick, 1985). Mood was manipulated by exposing all subjects to a challenging cognitive task, which had been made insoluble for half the subjects. All subjects were then asked to taste and rate a variety of cookies. Mood was evaluated using self-report measures and by monitoring changes in heart rate, blood pressure, and skin conductance. Distressed male subjects with high scores on two TFEQ subscales were found to eat significantly more than their non-distressed counterparts. Female subjects with high scores on the third TFEQ subscale were shown to eat less when distressed. Weight was found not to have a significant effect on the amount consumed by male or female subjects. There was some evidence to suggest that females with high scores on two TFEQ subscales are more emotionally reactive than those scoring lower. The evidence for increased reactivity in restrained males was weaker. There were no differences in reactivity as a function of BMI. Differences in emotional reactivity could not account for observed differences in eating among groups varying in restraint. The results suggest that, as has been found for female subjects in other studies, restrained males are also susceptible to the breakdown of control that leads to overeating in the face of distress. They should be included in future examinations of restraint.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.39758 |
| Date | January 1992 |
| Creators | Kestenbaum, Naomi R. (Naomi Ruth) |
| Contributors | Ditto, Blaine (advisor) |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Doctor of Philosophy (Department of Psychology.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 001327171, proquestno: NN87548, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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