title: Dietary restraint in college women: fear of an imperfect fat self is stronger than hope of a perfect thin self.
abstract: We predicted that the perceived likelihood of acquiring a hoped-for thin self would mediate perfectionistic strivings on dietary restraint, and that the perceived likelihood of acquiring a feared fat self would mediate perfectionistic concerns on dietary restraint. We also predicted that the mediation pathway from perfectionistic concerns to dietary restraint would have a greater impact than that from perfectionistic strivings. Participants were 222 female college students who reported their height and weight and completed measures of perfectionism, the likelihood of acquiring the feared fat and hoped-for thin selves, and dietary restraint. Statistical analyses revealed that the perceived likelihood of acquiring the feared fat self mediated both perfectionistic concerns and perfectionistic strivings on dietary restraint, and that the mediating pathway from perfectionistic concerns to dietary restraint was greater than that from perfectionistic strivings. Implications for future research and eating pathology interventions are discussed.
authors: Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences, University of Groningen, Grote Kruisstraat 2/1, 9712 TS Groningen, The Netherlands. S.E.Dalley@Rug.nl
authors: Simon E
authors: SE
authors: Dalley
authors: Paolo
authors: P
authors: Toffanin
authors: Thomas V
authors: TV
authors: Pollet
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003674:Defense Mechanisms; D004038:Diet, Reducing / Q000523:psychology*; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D008960:Models, Psychological; D009042:Motivation; D050177:Overweight / Q000523:psychology*; D011594:Psychometrics; D012649:Self Concept; D012647:Self-Assessment; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013851:Thinness / Q000523:psychology*; D015431:Weight Loss; D055815:Young Adult