title: Rumination and body dissatisfaction interact to predict concurrent binge eating.
abstract: Based upon the escape theory (Baumeister, 1991; Heatherton & Baumeister, 1991) and the emotional cascade model (Selby, Anestis, & Joiner, 2008), it was hypothesized that body dissatisfaction and rumination tendencies would interact to predict concurrent binge eating symptoms. This hypothesis was tested in a sample of 780 undergraduate students. The results conformed to prediction, in that individuals with high levels of body dissatisfaction were most likely to report binge eating behavior when they also had a tendency to ruminate. This interaction had a significant association with binge eating, above and beyond variance accounted for by participant sex, depression symptoms, and body mass index. Moreover, there was evidence of specificity for the model, as the interaction did not predict concurrent problematic drinking. Our findings suggest compatibility between the escape theory and emotional cascade models, and identify two factors that, in combination, may render individuals particularly vulnerable to binge eating.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, North Dakota State University, Fargo, ND 58108-6050, USA. kathryn.gordon@ndsu.edu
authors.forename: Kathryn H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Gordon
authors.forename: Jill M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Holm-Denoma
authors.forename: Wendy
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Troop-Gordon
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sand
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001828:Body Image; D002032:Bulimia / Q000523:psychology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003674:Defense Mechanisms; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015146:Midwestern United States; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009770:Obsessive Behavior; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012307:Risk Factors; D012649:Self Concept; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012737:Sex Factors; D055815:Young Adult