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Psychological need satisfaction, control, and disordered eating.

Franzisca V Froreich1, Lenny R Vartanian1, Matthew J Zawadzki2

  • 1School of Psychology, UNSW Australia, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

The British Journal of Clinical Psychology
|November 26, 2016
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Summary

Unmet psychological needs are linked to disordered eating behaviors in women, mediated by feelings of ineffectiveness and fear of losing self-control. Addressing these control issues may help prevent and treat eating disorders.

Keywords:
basic psychological needscontroldisordered eatingfear of losing self-controlineffectiveness

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Clinical Psychology
  • Eating Disorder Research

Background:

  • Unfulfilled basic psychological needs are linked to disordered eating behaviors.
  • The precise mechanisms connecting need satisfaction to disordered eating remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine a model linking basic psychological need satisfaction to disordered eating behaviors through issues of control.
  • Investigate the role of ineffectiveness and fear of losing self-control (FLC) as mediators.

Main Methods:

  • Path analysis was used with a sample of female university students, community participants, and women diagnosed with eating disorders (N=735).
  • Measures included psychological need satisfaction (autonomy, competence), issues of control (ineffectiveness, FLC), and eating disorder pathology.

Main Results:

  • Unsatisfied needs for autonomy and competence were indirectly associated with disordered eating behaviors.
  • Feelings of ineffectiveness and FLC significantly mediated the relationship between need satisfaction and disordered eating.

Conclusions:

  • Issues of control appear to be a key mechanism linking unfulfilled psychological needs to disordered eating.
  • Findings suggest targeting autonomy and competence needs in interventions for disordered eating in young women.