Associations among aspects of impulsivity and eating factors in a nonclinical sample.
OBJECTIVE
Impulsivity has been well documented as a factor in the behavior of eating-disordered populations and is likely to influence normal eating patterns as well. The current study attempted to clarify the relationship between the three elements of impulsivity (nonplanning, attentional, and motor) and the three factors of eating (cognitive restraint, disinhibition, and hunger) in a nonclinical sample.


METHODS
Data were collected from a sample (N = 112) of volunteer participants from the community who answered two self-report instruments related to impulsivity (the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, Version 11) and eating (the Eating Inventory). Partial correlations were performed on the data to control for age, sex, and education. Cognitive restraint did not correlate with any element of impulsivity. Disinhibition was positively correlated with both attentional impulsivity (r = .40, p < .001) and motor impulsivity (r = .32, p < .01). Attentional impulsivity was also positively correlated with hunger (r = .24, p < .05).


CONCLUSIONS
The lack of association between cognitive restraint and impulsivity suggests that they are functionally distinct. Disinhibition is most closely associated with impulsivity, consistent with findings from clinical samples. Further clarification of the relationship between impulsivity and eating in nonclinical populations could facilitate a better understanding of the relationship between personality variables and normal eating behavior.
Department of Psychology, The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, Pomona, New Jersey, USA. jennifer.lyke@stockton.edu
Jennifer A
JA
Lyke
Marcello
M
Spinella
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003071:Cognition; D007174:Disruptive, Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011594:Psychometrics; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires