This study aimed to investigate the relationship between dieting and global cognitive style in a non-clinical sample. Questionnaires were administered to 218 Australian undergraduate students. Dieting was operationalized in two ways: self-reported current dieting behaviour; and scores on dietary restraint. It was found that current, but not past, dieters had more dysfunctional cognitive attitudes, confirming the necessity of distinguishing between current and past dieting behaviour. The Concern for Dieting subscale of dietary restraint was also related to a dysfunctional cognitive style, even after level of depressed mood was statistically controlled. In particular, the dysfunctional attitude of Dichotomous Thinking was implicated. Taken together, the findings imply that dieters do not have an enduring maladaptive cognitive style, but rather that current dieting concerns and behaviour are associated with poorer cognitive functioning.
Beck, A. T. (1967). Depression: Clinical, experimental and theoretical aspects. New York: Harper & Row.
2.
Beck, A. T., Ward, C. H., Mendelson, M., Mock, J. E., & Erlbaugh, J. K. (1961). An inventory for measuring depression. Archives of General Psychiatry, 4, 561–571.
3.
Blanchard, F., & Frost, R. O. (1983). Two factors of restraint: Concern for dieting and weight fluctuations. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 21, 259–267.
4.
Butow, P., Beumont, P., & Touyz, S. (1993). Cognitive processes in dieting disorders. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 14, 319–329.
5.
Cooper, M. T., & Fairburn, C. G. (1992). Thoughts about eating, weight and shape in anorexia and bulimia nervosa. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 30, 501–511.
6.
Dyck, M. J. (1992). Subscales of the Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 31, 333–335.
7.
Etaugh, C., & Hall, P. (1989). Restrained eating: Mediator of gender differences on cognitive restructuring tasks. Sex Roles, 20, 465–471.
8.
Garner, D. M., & Bemis, K. M. (1982). A cognitive–behavioural approach to anorexia nervosa. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 6, 123–150.
9.
Garrow, J. S., & Webster, J. (1985). Quetelet's Index (W/H2) as a measure of fatness. International Journal of Obesity, 9, 147–153.
10.
Goebel, M., Spalthoff, G., Schultze, C., & Florin, I. (1989). Dysfunctional cognitions, attributional style and depression in bulimia. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 33, 747–752.
11.
Green, M. W., Elliman, N. A., & Rogers, P. J. (1997). Impaired cognitive processing in dieters: Failure of attention focus or resource capacity limitation?British Journal of Health Psychology, 2, 259–267.
12.
Green, M. W., & Rogers, P. J. (1995). Impaired cognitive functioning during spontaneous dieting. Psychological Medicine, 25, 1003–1010.
13.
Heatherton, T. F., Herman, C. P., Polivy, J., King, G. A., & McGree, S. T. (1988). The (mis)measurement of restraint: An analysis of conceptual and psychometric issues. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 97, 19–28.
14.
Herman, C. P., & Polivy, J. (1980). Restrained eating. In A. Stunkard (Ed.), Obesity (pp. 208–255). Philadelphia: Saunders.
15.
Hickford, C. A., Ward, T., & Bulik, C. M. (1997). Cognition of restrained and unrestrained eaters under fasting and non-fasting conditions. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 35, 71–75.
16.
Koenig, L. J., & Wasserman, E. L. (1995). Body image and dieting failure in college men and women: Examining links between depression and eating problems. Sex Roles, 32, 225–249.
17.
Lowe, M. R. (1993). The effects of dieting on eating behavior: A three-factor model. Psychological Bulletin, 114, 100–121.
18.
Martz, D. M., Sturgis, E. T., & Gustafson, S. B. (1996). Development and preliminary validation of the Cognitive Behavioral Dieting Scale. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 9, 297–309.
19.
Nolen-Hoeksema, S., & Girgus, J. S. (1994). The emergence of gender differences in depression during adolescence. Psychological Bulletin, 115, 424–443.
20.
Ogden, J. (1993). The measurement of restraint: Confounding success and failure?International Journal of Eating Disorders, 13, 69–76.
21.
Ogden, J., & Greville, L. (1993). Cognitive changes to preloading in restrained and unrestrained eaters as measured by the Stroop task. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 14, 185–195.
22.
Phillips, L., Tiggemann, M., & Wade, T. (1997). Comparison of cognitive style in bulimia nervosa and depression. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 35, 939–948.
23.
Rodin, J.Silberstein, L., & Striegel-Moore, R. (1985). Women and weight: A normative discontent. In T. B. Sonderegger (Ed.), Psychology and gender. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press.
24.
Rogers, P. J., & Green, M. W. (1993). Dieting, dietary restraint and cognitive performance. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 32, 113–116.
25.
Ruderman, A. J. (1983). The Restraint Scale: A psychometric investigation. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 21, 258–283.
26.
Ruderman, A. J. (1986). Bulimia and irrational beliefs. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 24, 193–197.
27.
Steiger, H., Goldstein, C., Mongrain, M., & van der Feen, J. (1990). Description of eating disordered, psychiatric and normal women along cognitive and psychodynamic dimensions. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 9, 129–140.
28.
Stewart, S. H., & Samoluk, S. B. (1997). Effects of short-term food deprivation and chronic dietary restraint on the selective processing of appetitiverelated cues. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 21, 129–135.
29.
Strauss, J., & Ryan, R. M. (1988). Cognitive dysfunction in eating disorders. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 7, 19–27.
30.
Tiggemann, M. (1997). Dieting in moderation: The role of dietary restraint in the relationship between body dissatisfaction and psychological well-being. Journal of Health Psychology, 2, 501–507.
31.
Vitousek, K. B., & Hollon, S. D. (1990). The investigation of schematic content and processing in eating disorders. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 14, 191–214.
32.
Weissman, A., & Beck, A. T. (1978). Development and validation of the Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale: A preliminary investigation. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Education Research. Chicago/November.
33.
Wilson, G. T. (1996). Treatment of bulimia nervosa: When CBT fails. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 34, 197–212.
