title: Do changes in affect moderate the association between attachment anxiety and body dissatisfaction in children? An experimental study by means of the Trier Social Stress Test.
abstract: Previous studies have already found a positive association between attachment and disordered eating attitudes and behaviors in children and adolescents. However, to our knowledge, no experimental studies have examined whether changes in negative and/or positive affect moderate the association between attachment anxiety and body dissatisfaction in children.
  
  
  
  A controlled laboratory setting was used to investigate whether changes in state negative and/or positive affect moderate the association between attachment anxiety and body satisfaction in a sample of 81 children (Mage=11.74). The changes in state affect were caused by the exposure to a performance-related stressor using the Trier Social Stress Test for Children.
  
  
  
  Children with high levels of attachment anxiety reported a decrease in body satisfaction, but only if the TSST-C led to a decrease in their positive affect.
  
  
  
  Early detection and intervention programs may benefit from addressing insecure attachment and maladaptive emotion regulation in children.
authors.affiliation: Ghent University, Department of Developmental, Personality and Social Psychology, Henri Dunantlaan 2, 9000 Gent, Belgium. Electronic address: Lien.Goossens@UGent.be.
authors.forename: Lien
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Goossens
authors.affiliation: Artevelde University College, Department of Social Work, Sint-Annaplein 31, 9000 Gent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Van Durme
authors.affiliation: Ghent University, Department of Developmental, Personality and Social Psychology, Henri Dunantlaan 2, 9000 Gent, Belgium.
authors.forename: Marie-Lotte
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Van Beveren
authors.affiliation: KU Leuven, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Tiensestraat 102, 3000 Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: Laurence
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Claes
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000339:Affect; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D001828:Body Image / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009769:Object Attachment; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D012919:Social Behavior; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000523:psychology
keywords: Attachment anxiety; Body dissatisfaction; Children; Trier Social Stress Test