Affective Orientation and Eating Behavior: Two Studies of Emotional, Restrained, and External Eating Decisions

Abstract

Recent work on how emotions guide decisions stimulated two studies on relationships among emotional, restrained, and external antecedents of eating behavior and Affective Orientation. In Study 1 were 195 undergraduate students who completed the Affective Orientation–15 scale (Booth-Butterfield & Booth-Butterfield, 1996) and the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire. Higher scores of trait Affective Orientation were associated with more emotional and restrained eating. Women scored higher on Affective Orientation than men and were more likely to engage in emotional and restrained eating. Study 2 replicated the research with 79 employed adults ( M age = 38 yr.). Results were similar in that Affective Orientation scores were related positively to similar eating patterns, and women scored higher than men on the psychosocial variables.