The Role of Negative Affect in Emotional Processing of Food-Related Images in Eating Disorders and Obesity

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to analyze differences in the emotional processing (valence, arousal, and dominance) of food-related information in patients with eating disorders (ED), patients with obesity, and healthy women. Moreover, the mediator role of negative affect and the moderating role of the diagnostic group (ED vs. non-ED) were analyzed. Method: The sample consisted of 94 women (39 with eating disorders, 19 with obesity, and 36 healthy participants). Measures: International Affective Picture System (IAPS) food picture exposure task; Self-Assessment Manikin Analog-Visual Scale (SAM) appraising Arousal, Valence, and Dominance; Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26); Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS). Results: Patients with purging symptomatology rated food images as more unpleasant than healthy women. Patients with purging and restrictive eating symptomatology showed higher levels of arousal and less dominance over the emotions experienced, compared to patients with obesity and healthy women. The mediation analysis showed that negative affect mediated the relationship between eating symptomatology (EAT-26) and the Valence of food images, as well as the control over the emotions experienced when viewing food images (Dominance). For the moderation analysis participants were regrouped into two groups (ED patients vs. non-ED patients). The direct relationship between eating symptomatology and food image valence was moderated by the diagnostic group. However, the group did not moderate the direct relationship between the EAT-26 and dominance over experienced emotions, or the indirect effect on eating symptomatology through negative affect. These results show the relevance of negative affect in the emotional processing of food-related information, and they support an eating disorder-disordered eating dimensional perspective.

Interactions between emotions and eating behaviors: Main issues, neuroimaging contributions, and innovative preventive or corrective strategies

“…They are also more predisposed to dysfunctional processing of emotions related to food information [81]. In this study, reduced control over emotions and reduced attraction to food pictures were mediated by negative affect, supporting the predictive role of negative affect in ED symptomatology [81]. The use of inappropriate emotion regulation strategies in response to the situational demand is a feature of various psychiatric disorders [82], suggesting that emotional eating may reflect a dysregulation of emotion processing in patients with EDs.…”

“…Research has shown that patients with EDs are more predisposed to experience alexithymia (i.e., difficulty identifying and describing feelings) [79], maladaptive emotion regulation [62,75,78], and deficits in emotion differentiation, which is defined as the tendency to experience vague affective states rather than well-defined emotions [80]. They are also more predisposed to dysfunctional processing of emotions related to food information [81]. In this study, reduced control over emotions and reduced attraction to food pictures were mediated by negative affect, supporting the predictive role of negative affect in ED symptomatology [81].…”

The impact of COVID-19 pandemic on healthcare workers under the “Ten New Guidelines” in Taizhou, China

“…Affect subscale of PANAS, like previous studies ( He et al, 2019 , Sierra et al, 2021 ), however, this may not only introduce bias towards negative impacts of working under the new COVID-19 conditions, but also not identify potential beneficial effects. Hence, further longitudinal studies regarding the same topic should be conducted to explore an insightful information.…”

Selection of social comparison standards in cardiac patients with and without experienced defibrillator shock

“…Current mood was assessed by a self-assessment manikin (SAM; Bradley and Lang 29 ; Sierra et al 30 ) 9-point scale (1 = very bad ; 9 = very good ) at the beginning of the survey as well as after the case vignette with the selection of standard. Current mood SAM scores were lost for seven participants (3 in the ICD+ group) due to experimenter error.…”