An experimental investigation of DSM-IV binge-eating criteria

Abstract

Objective: The influence of quantity, duration, and loss of control on binge judgments and their semantic meaning was explored in binge eaters, controls, and psychologists. Method: Vignettes of an actress eating were rated on binge and semantic differential scales in a 2 (quantity)×2 (duration)×2 (loss of control) experimental design. Results: Participants rated episodes involving a large quantity of food or loss of control as higher on the binge scale. Episodes were rated as more binge-like if a large amount of food was consumed over a short (vs. long) interval and when loss of control was present (vs. absent). The binge-eating group rated vignettes depicting a large quantity of food and loss of control as unacceptable and weak. Discussion: Group, quantity, and loss of control appear to exert the principal influences on binge judgments. The implications for the identification of binge and the diagnosis of binge-eating disorder (BED) and bulimia nervosa are explored.