Abstracts

Binge eating is a core symptom of eating disordersthat often occurs in response to increases in negative affect.Recent data suggest that negative affect arising from interpersonalstressors is particularly potent at triggering binge eating. Giventhat binge eating is conceptualized as a maladaptive strategy forregulating emotions in individuals who have pre-existing deficitsin this domain, training in emotion regulation may help personssusceptible to binge eating to better manage negative affect frominterpersonal stress, thereby reducing their vulnerability to bingeeating. The current study examined whether use of emotionregulation strategies (i.e., cognitive reappraisal versusexpressive suppression) while being ostracized via Cyberballdifferentially impacts subsequent emotions and eating behaviorsduring a taste test. Females with binge eating (N = 53) and withoutbinge (N = 51) were recruited and trained on either cognitivereappraisal or expressive suppression. Participants then engaged ina Cyberball paradigm designed to ostracize them, and they wereasked to simultaneously implement the learned emotion regulationstrategy. Subsequently, all participants completed a taste test,during which they consumed pretzels and chocolate M&Ms. Neitherbinge eating status nor emotion regulation strategy had asignificant main effect on emotions or eating behaviors afterCyberball. Further, no significant interaction effects betweenbinge eating status and emotion regulation strategy were detected.The hypothesis that use of cognitive reappraisal compared toexpressive suppression can lead to reduced negative emotions aswell as reduced eating behaviors was not supported. Non-significantresults may be due to a lack of understanding or compliance withemotion regulation instructions. Participants reported usingsimilar levels of both cognitive reappraisal and expressivesuppression strategies during Cyberball despite being trained andinstructed to use one of the two strategies. Further investigationof the negative effects of interpersonal stress in persons withbinge eating is warranted. Future studies may benefit fromexamining the use of other emotion regulation strategies, as wellas more intensive emotion regulation training.Advisors/Committee Members: Racine, Sarah (Advisor).