| In this project, methods from social cognition research will be used to test hypotheses derived from the Goal Conflict Model of Eating Behavior. This model explains the development of a restrained eating style on the basis of restrained eaters strong preference for tasty, high calorie food, which is likely to eventually lead to weight gain, dissatisfaction with one s weight, and attempts at weight loss, which are unlikely to be successful. According to the Goal Conflict Model, restrained eaters eating behavior is then influenced by two incompatible goals: eating enjoyment and weight control. Esther will further investigate this goal conflict and its consequences for the regulation of eating behavior, for example by manipulating the accessibility of either goal and measuring the accessibility of the other goal, by examining restrained eaters implicit attitudes towards food and how these relate to their explicitly reported attitudes, and by manipulating cognitive load to learn more about the role of automatic and controlled processes in the cognitive regulation of eating behavior. |
