Effects of negative mood induction and impulsivity on self-perceived emotional eating.
OBJECTIVE
The current study investigates the influence of negative mood induction and impulsivity on self-perceptions with respect to emotional eating. Negative affect as well as high impulsivity was expected to increase levels of self-perceived emotional eating.


METHODS
College students who were high versus low in impulsivity were assigned randomly to either a negative (failure on a quiz) or a neutral mood induction. Their levels of self-perceived emotional eating were measured after and before mood induction.


RESULTS
Negative affect appeared to enhance the level of self-perceived emotional eating significantly (p < .01). There was no statistically significant effect of impulsivity. The interaction effect of affect and impulsivity approached significance (p = .08), indicating that highly impulsive subjects compared with subjects low in impulsivity were more strongly influenced by negative affect in self-perceived emotional eating.


CONCLUSIONS
Negative affect substantially influences self-perceptions in terms of emotional eating, which is relevant for both prevention and treatment.
Bekker
Marrie H J
MH
Department of Clinical Psychology, Gender and Health, Tilburg University, Room P501, P.O. Box 90153, 5000 LE Tilburg, The Netherlands. m.h.j.bekker@uvt.nl
van de Meerendonk
Carola
C
Mollerus
Jessica
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D004644:Emotions; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D012649:Self Concept; D013334:Students