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Self‐restraint spillover: Inhibitory control disrupts appetite regulation among ruminators
Author(s) -
Schlinkert Caroline,
Koole Sander L.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
journal of personality
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.082
H-Index - 144
eISSN - 1467-6494
pISSN - 0022-3506
DOI - 10.1111/jopy.12357
Subject(s) - inhibitory control , appetite , psychology , rumination , inhibitory postsynaptic potential , self control , developmental psychology , impulsivity , neuroscience , cognition , medicine , endocrinology
Objective People can use inhibitory control to temporarily inhibit their personal preferences to achieve their long‐term goals. According to the ego fixation model (Koole et al., 2014), ruminators have difficulties relaxing inhibitory control, leading them to continue inhibiting their personal needs, even when this is no longer required by the situation. Inhibitory control may thus disrupt healthy appetite regulation among ruminators. Method Among 324 Dutch undergraduate students (218 women; M age = 21.5), different inhibitory control states were manipulated by varying whether or not participants exerted inhibitory control (Study 1) or priming high versus low inhibitory control (Study 2). All participants then performed a food‐tasting task. Healthy appetite regulation was defined as a positive correlation between level of food deprivation and preference for high‐calorie foods. Results For taste ratings, the interaction between inhibitory control and rumination was significant in each study: Inhibitory control disrupted healthy appetite regulation in taste preferences among ruminators, but not among non‐ruminators. For eating behavior, the same interaction effect was significant when the two studies were combined. Conclusions Inhibitory control disrupts healthy appetite regulation among ruminators. These findings suggest the need for caution in interventions that rely on inhibitory control, especially among samples with compulsive thought tendencies.