Behavioral Inhibition System and Behavioral Activation System (BIS/BAS) Motives and Loneliness as Predictors of Eating Disturbances in Female College Students: Interpersonal Context Matters

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine behavioral inhibition system and behavioral activation system (BiS/BaS) motives and loneliness as predictors of eating disturbances (viz., drive for thinness, bulimic symptoms, & body dissatisfaction) in female college students. Three hundred and one female college students (ages ranging from 18-33 years) completed measures assessing for BiS/BaS motives, loneliness, and eating disturbances. results of conducting regression analyses indicated that BiS/BaS motives, especially BiS motives, accounted for significant amounts of variance across all three eating disturbance outcomes examined (R 2 range = .10 to .13). Moreover, the inclusion of loneliness as a predictor of eating disturbances was found to account for additional unique amounts of variance (∆R 2 range = .02 to .06), over what was accounted for by BiS/BaS motives. These findings indicate that in addition to the potential role of biologically linked variables like BiS/BaS motives, it is important to also consider the contributions of important psychosocial variables like loneliness for understanding eating disturbances among female college students.

Multiple mediators of reward and punishment sensitivity on loneliness

“…People vary in their sensitivities to reward and punishment and these individual differences are elaborated by Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (RST). Using this theory, researchers have found lonely people to be low in reward sensitivity and high in punishment sensitivity (Chang, Kahle, Yu, & Hirsch, 2014). RST, however, was substantially revised in 2000 (Gray & McNaughton, 2000) and previous measures of reward and punishment sensitivity could be tapping other constructs such as anxiety (Heym, Ferguson, & Lawrence, 2008).…”

Should I stay or should I go? Approach/avoidance conflict and emotional functioning

“…Bowins suggests the monitoring of BIS/BAS scores during treatment of depression and or anxiety as a way to track approaching sources of reinforcement and avoiding sources of anxiety. Chang and Kahle suggest the same sort of BIS/BAS monitoring for any interventions focused on treating eating disorders. Measuring these dispositional factors could also assist in risk assessment, as this could provide insight into approach/avoidance conflicts.…”

The pursuit of belonging

“…People vary in their sensitivities to reward and punishment and these individual differences are elaborated by Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (RST). Using this theory, researchers have found lonely people are low in reward sensitivity and high in punishment sensitivity (Chang, Kahle, Yu, & Hirsch, 2014). RST was substantially revised in 2000 (Gray & McNaughton, 2000) and previous measures of reward and punishment sensitivity may tap other constructs, such as anxiety, meaning the link between loneliness and reward and punishment sensitivity needs to be re-evaluated.…”

“…Lonely people, for instance, are high in punishment sensitivity and low in reward sensitivity (Chang, Kahle, Yu, & Hirsch, 2014). High punishment sensitivity and low reward sensitivity have also been linked to poorer social functioning, as measured by both loneliness and low popularity ratings (Kingsbury, Coplan, Weeks, & Rose-Krasnor, 2013).…”

“…Because high levels of the original BAS are associated with lower loneliness (Chang et al, 2014) and because social situations hold many rewards including status and affiliation that those high in r-BAS would pursue more strongly (Corr, DeYoung, & McNaughton, 2013), we expect that high r-BAS should predict lower loneliness. High levels of the original BIS are associated with higher loneliness (Chang et al, 2014); however, because original BIS taps fear and anxiety, it is unclear whether loneliness is more related to fear (FFFS) or anxiety (r-BIS). Social situations frequently engage r-BIS because r-BIS manages conflict between approach and avoidance, which emerge frequently in social situations (Corr, 2005).…”