Why Dieters Succeed or Fail: The Relationship Between Reward and Punishment Sensitivity and Restrained Eating and Dieting Success

Abstract

BackgroundThe current study set out to improve our understanding of the characteristics of individuals who are motivated to restrict their food intake yet who nevertheless fail to do so. We examined whether punishment sensitivity (PS) was related to restrained eating, and reward sensitivity (RS) to perceived dieting success. Additionally, it was examined whether executive control (EC) moderates the association between RS and perceived dieting success.MethodsFemale student participants (N = 290, aged 17–29, BMI between 18.5 and 38.0) completed questionnaires on restrained eating, perceived dieting success, RS and PS, and carried out a behavioral task to index EC.ResultsPS was indeed positively related to restrained eating. RS was positively related to perceived dieting success, yet, EC did not moderate this association.ConclusionThe current study adds to the evidence that PS is related to individuals’ motivation to restrict their food intake. Furthermore, it shows support for the suggestion that RS may facilitate food restriction.

Are Sensitivity to Punishment, Sensitivity to Reward and Effortful Control Transdiagnostic Mechanisms Underlying the Eating Disorder/Obesity Spectrum?

“…Patients with AN-R relate their self-worth to their weight [35] and are afraid of gaining weight; their strict dieting can be considered as a way to avoid anxiety for weight gain [7,8]. Several studies have demonstrated a positive association between sensitivity to punishment and restrained eating in both adolescents and young adults [20,36]. Patients with binge eating (AN-BP, BN) and obesity, on the contrary, often use food to comfort or soothe themselves and to escape from negative feelings [37].…”

The reward and punishment responsivity and motivation questionnaire (RPRM-Q): A stimulus-independent self-report measure of reward and punishment sensitivity that differentiates between responsivity and motivation

“…The RPRM-Q was followed by the BIS/BAS and the SPSRQ which will be reported on in step 3. The questionnaire further contained the Attentional Network Task ( Fan et al, 2002 ), RS ( Herman and Polivy, 1980 ), Perceived Self-Regulatory Success Scale ( Fishbach et al, 2003 ), EDE-Q ( Fairburn and Beglin, 2008 ), GFCQT ( Nijs et al, 2007 ), Clinical Perfectionism Questionnaire ( Fairburn et al, 2003 ), Salience of possible thin and fat self ( Dalley, 2016 ), Approach and Avoidance Temperaments ( Elliot and Thrash, 2010 ), of which most were included for another study and reported on in Jonker et al (2021) .…”