Failure of dieting
- Created by: emily
- Created on: 04-03-14 20:19
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- Failure of dieting
- The Boundary model
- dieting may fail and lead to overeating
- the person sets a cognitive limit to restrain the amount of food intake
- this means restrained eaters (dieters) have two limits
- physiological limit - set by body weight
- cognitive limit - set by the person
- the restrained eater will eat until they reach their cognitive boundary determined by the diet they set themselves
- once they go over the boundary the eat until they reach their physiological boundary and beyond
- dis-inhibition occurs after the self imposed limit is broken. this is loosening restraints in response to emotional distress.
- known as the 'what the hell' effect
- dis-inhibition occurs after the self imposed limit is broken. this is loosening restraints in response to emotional distress.
- once they go over the boundary the eat until they reach their physiological boundary and beyond
- this means restrained eaters (dieters) have two limits
- the person sets a cognitive limit to restrain the amount of food intake
- Evaluation
- Research evidence for the Boundary Model
- Herman and Mack
- gave a group of dieters and non dieters either a high or low calorie preload
- non dieters used compensatory regulatory behaviour and ate less during a taste test after the preload than low calorie
- restrained eaters have a cognitive boundary for food intake
- overcome by the preloads 'what the hell' effect takes over
- restrained eaters have a cognitive boundary for food intake
- non dieters used compensatory regulatory behaviour and ate less during a taste test after the preload than low calorie
- Contradictory evidence
- not all dieters overeat, eg restricting anorexics
- Laessle
- some dieters can successfully reduce calorie intake by 400 k'cals less than unrestrained eaters and eat less food high in carbs and fat
- also, if simply not eating something results in eating it, how do vegetarians not eat meat
- some dieters can successfully reduce calorie intake by 400 k'cals less than unrestrained eaters and eat less food high in carbs and fat
- Laessle
- not all dieters overeat, eg restricting anorexics
- Psychology as a Science
- many of the experiments are carried out in labs
- allows for isolation and control of variables - enables cause and effect to be established and replication
- gives boundary model high validity and reliability
- however, low levels of ecological validity - artificial conditions - difficult to generalise
- dieting in real world may involved more complicated issues not studied in the laboratory
- however, low levels of ecological validity - artificial conditions - difficult to generalise
- gives boundary model high validity and reliability
- allows for isolation and control of variables - enables cause and effect to be established and replication
- many of the experiments are carried out in labs
- Research evidence for the Boundary Model
- dieting may fail and lead to overeating
- The Role of Denial
- cognitive psychology has shown that attempting to suppress or deny the thought has the opposite effect
- Theory of Ironic Processes of Mental Control
- dieting is the decision to not eat certain foods or eat less
- results in a state of denial - try to suppress thoughts about food
- attempts to suppress thoughts of forbidden foods increase the preoccupation with them
- denied food becomes more attractive
- attempts to suppress thoughts of forbidden foods increase the preoccupation with them
- results in a state of denial - try to suppress thoughts about food
- dieting is the decision to not eat certain foods or eat less
- Theory of Ironic Processes of Mental Control
- Evaluation
- Research support
- Wegner
- told participants to not thinks about the white bear
- those told not to rang bell to indicate they were thinking about it more often than those asked to think about the bear
- suggests experimental support for the role of denial
- however, he admits that the evidence for the role of ironic processes in the lab is far from overwhelming
- suggests experimental support for the role of denial
- those told not to rang bell to indicate they were thinking about it more often than those asked to think about the bear
- told participants to not thinks about the white bear
- Wegner
- Alternative approach
- limited as they ignore the role of biological factors such as body weight set point
- dieting to reduce weight below the body weight set point is difficult because the body tries to restore the set point any way it can
- the body will increase feelings of hunger and will reduce BMR (basal metabolic rate)
- BMR is the rate at which cells burn up energy
- a lower BMR reduces energy expenditure making weight loss difficult on a diet
- evidence on set point is a valid alternative explanation for the complex nature of dieting
- a lower BMR reduces energy expenditure making weight loss difficult on a diet
- BMR is the rate at which cells burn up energy
- the body will increase feelings of hunger and will reduce BMR (basal metabolic rate)
- dieting to reduce weight below the body weight set point is difficult because the body tries to restore the set point any way it can
- limited as they ignore the role of biological factors such as body weight set point
- Research support
- cognitive psychology has shown that attempting to suppress or deny the thought has the opposite effect
- The Boundary model
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