Health Psychology : a Textbook

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‘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

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