Dieting

What aspect of Schachter’s externality theory did Herman & Mack (1975) challenge?

They classified people by past dietary restraint rather than body mass

What was the procedure in Herman & Mack (1975)?

Participants received 0, 1, or 2 milkshakes and were then allowed to eat ice cream ad libitum.

What was the key finding of Herman & Mack (1975)?

Consuming at least one milkshake increased subsequent ice-cream intake.

What explanation did Herman & Mack (1975) give for increased intake after a preload?

Preloads are cognitive rather than nutritive, leading to cognitive disinhibition

What did Spencer & Fremouw (1979) find about restrained eaters?

Restrained eaters ate the most when they believed they had consumed a high-calorie preload.

What is the Disinhibition Effect (Herman & Polivy, 1980)?

When self-imposed dietary rules are broken, leading to overeating.

What are the three types of disinhibition?

Cognitive, Emotional, and Pharmacological.

What is cognitive disinhibition?

The inability to control intrusive thoughts or impulses

What is emotional disinhibition?

Negative mood induces overeating.

What is pharmacological disinhibition?

Substances like alcohol increase eating (e.g., eating a doner kebab while drunk).

What did Urbszat et al. (2001) find about restrained eaters?

Restrained eaters consumed more when they anticipated going on a diet.

What is the Boundary Model (Herman & Polivy)?

Dieting creates a false boundary that restricts intake below true satiety needs.

What happens when the dieting boundary is exceeded?

Disinhibition occurs, leading to overeating

Why does the Boundary Model argue dieting fails?

Satiety is restricted, so caloric needs are never fully met

What is a major criticism of the Boundary Model regarding culture?

It is America-centric (questionnaires and portion sizes differ cross-culturally)

What cognitive criticism challenges the Boundary Model?

Thought-sampling studies show a lack of “blown it” cognitions

How does Japanese eating behavior challenge the Boundary Model?

Japanese people eat until ~80% fullness, questioning rigid boundaries

What did Meyer & Waller (1999) investigate?

The effect of emotionally valenced words on food intake.

What was the key finding of Meyer & Waller (1999)?

Negative words (e.g., “lonely”) increased food consumption the most.

How might Meyer & Waller’s findings relate to binge eating?

Negative emotions may trigger binge episodes

What key debate exists about restraint and dieting?

Is restraint a cause or consequence of dieting?

What do studies show about “pure restraint” measures?

They often fail to find disinhibition effects.

According to Yeomans et al. (2004), which group eats the most palatable food?

People with low restraint and high disinhibition.

What did Haynes et al. (2003) find about stress and eating?

Low-restraint, high-disinhibition individuals eat more when stressed than when unstressed.

What are the three types of overeating (Polivy & Herman, 2020)?

Caloric excess, personal norm violation, and social norm violation.

What does recent meta-analytic evidence suggest about restraint?

Dietary restraint predicts lower overall caloric intake.