Ecological momentary assessment of affect and binge eating behavior insubclinical college students
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2018-07-04
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en
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Abstract
Background: The affect regulation theory of binge eating suggests that negative
affect is antecedent to binge eating, and binge eating functions to reduce negative
affect. While negative affect is frequently followed by binge eating, evidence is mixed
on whether affect is being regulated by binge eating.
Objectives: (1) To compare pre‐binge positive and negative affect with their average
levels on non‐binge days. (2) To compare positive and negative affect before binge
episodes to after binge episodes. (3) To examine positive and negative affect
trajectories before and after binge eating episodes; And finally (4) to compare the
trajectories of high‐ and low‐arousal positive and negative affect.
Method: Seventeen college students with partial bulimic syndrome were asked to
rate 10 affects and answer questions about binge eating several times a day over a
14‐day period using an ecological momentary assessment (EMA).
Results: Negative affect was higher while PA was lower than their average levels on
non‐binge days. In addition, negative affect increased at an accelerated rate and
positive affect decreased at a decelerated rate before binge episodes. After bingeing,
negative affect was higher but PA remained the same when compared to pre‐binge
affect. Moreover, neither negative affect nor positive affect trajectory showed a
significant upward or downward trend. By investigating dimensions of valence and
arousal, both high‐ and low‐arousal negative affect increased prior to bingeing;
however, only low‐arousal positive affect decreased before a binge. Following binge
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episodes, none of the affect groups changed significantly .
Discussion: The study demonstrated that both increased negative affect and
decreased positive affect were antecedent to binge eating episodes. However,
neither negative affect nor positive affect was regulated after binge eating. Further research is needed to investigate the affect changes during a binge, or another type
of reinforcement that maintains binge eating.
The investigation into dimensions of valence and arousal revealed that there was
no trade‐off between high‐ and low‐arousal affects. Thus, the affect regulation
theory was accounted for by valence, not arousal levels.
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Faculteit der Sociale Wetenschappen