Health Psychology : a Textbook

‘I’m just totally hopeless and weak, and though I hate being fat I just don’t have the

willpower to do anything about it’.

In summary, restraint theory indicates that dieting is linked with overeating and

research inspired by this perspective has explored the processes involved in triggering

this behaviour. Studies have used experimental and descriptive designs and suggest a role

for physiological boundaries, cognitive shifts, mood modification, denial, a shift in self

awareness and control. These are illustrated in Figure 6.9.

FOCUS ON RESEARCH 6.1: TESTING A THEORY – OVEREATING AS A REBELLION

A study to examine the cognitive changes to preloading using self-report and

the Stroop task (Ogden and Greville 1993).

The aim of this study was to examine changes in cognitive state in dieters and non-

dieters following the consumption of a ‘forbidden food’. The study used both self-report

measures and the Stroop task to examine these changes. Self-report measures provide

some insights into an individual’s state of mind, but are open to factors such as denial

and expectancy effects. The Stroop task, however, also aims to access an individual’s

cognitions but without these problems. The Stroop task is a useful cognitive tool which

can be applied to study a range of behaviours and beliefs other than eating.

Background

Dieters have been shown to overeat following a high-calorie preload. This behaviour has

been called disinhibition or the ‘what the hell’ effect. The boundary model of overeating

Fig. 6-9 From dieting to overeating

160 HEALTH PSYCHOLOGY