Development and validation of the Multidimensional Internally Regulated Eating Scale (MIRES)

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Behavioral Science
• Health Psychology

Background:

• Internally regulated eating, responding to internal hunger and satiation cues, is a key aspect of healthy eating behaviors.
• Existing measures may not fully capture the multidimensional nature of this eating style.
• A validated instrument is needed to accurately assess individual differences in internally regulated eating.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically develop and validate a new self-report instrument, the Multidimensional Internally Regulated Eating Scale (MIRES).
• To quantify individual-difference characteristics related to internally regulated eating.
• To provide a reliable and valid tool for assessing internally regulated eating styles.

Main Methods:

• Development of a 21-item scale with seven subscales.
• Validation in community samples from the UK and US.
• Assessment of internal consistency, temporal stability, convergent validity, incremental validity, and criterion validity.

Main Results:

• The MIRES demonstrated high internal consistency and adequate to high two-week temporal stability.
• The MIRES model showed a very good fit to the data.
• Convergent and incremental validity were supported through correlations with intuitive eating and eating competence measures.
• Criterion validity was supported by negative correlations with eating disorder symptomatology and weight-related measures, and positive correlations with adaptive outcomes.

Conclusions:

• The Multidimensional Internally Regulated Eating Scale (MIRES) is a reliable and valid instrument.
• MIRES effectively assesses the multidimensional features of internally regulated eating.
• This scale can be used for thorough assessment of individuals who regulate their eating based on internal cues.