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Media‐induced disinhibition of dietary restraint
Author(s) -
Seddon Lesley,
Berry Neil
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
british journal of health psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.05
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 2044-8287
pISSN - 1359-107X
DOI - 10.1111/j.2044-8287.1996.tb00489.x
Subject(s) - disinhibition , psychology , stereotype (uml) , cognition , social psychology , taste , developmental psychology , neuroscience
In an experimental investigation of disinhibition, dietary restrained and unrestrained participants viewed either videotaped television advertisements containing stereotypical images of culturally idealized women (the ‘stereotype’ condition) or matched advertisements which did not contain such images (the ‘neutral’ condition). It was hypothesized that dietary restrained female participants who viewed the ‘stereotype’ video would experience a temporary downward shift in State Self‐esteem (SSES) which would lead to a reduction in their cognitive control of food intake (restraint) resulting in higher levels of food consumption in a subsequent taste task. A significant difference in consumption was observed in line with the prediction, but the results failed to demonstrate that these differences were mediated by self‐esteem changes. The study supports the view that ‘the thin ideal’ plays an important role in disordered eating.