The Effect of Attachment Dimensions, Perceived Stress and Specific Perfectionism Dimensions on Emotional Overeating and Emotional Undereating

Abstract

Emotional Eating (EE) encompasses the excessive consumption or deprivation of food as a response to negative emotions, known as emotional overeating (EO) and undereating (EU) respectively. Attachment appears to be associated with EE. Studies suggest that stress and perceived stress levels are linked to Emotional Dysregulation (ED) and EE. Research indicates that the relationship between difficulties in emotion regulation and perfectionism with symptoms of eating disorders (ED) is mediated by emotional eating and cognitive restraint regarding eating. The present study aims to explore whether different levels of attachment dimensions (anxiety, avoidance), perceived stress, and perfectionism (DA & CM) yield distinct categories of EE. The design of the present study is independent measures. Snowballing technique was employed for the facilitation of the study. 227 participants were included (Mage= 29.45, SD= 9.79). The study necessitates the utilization of four self-report instruments, specifically the Revised Adult Attachment Scale (RAAS), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), the Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (FMPS) with a particular focus on its DA and CM subscales, and the Salzburg Emotional Eating Scale (SEES). Factorial Independent Measures ANOVA was facilitated. The only statistically significant result yielded consist of the interaction effect between attachment avoidance levels and perceived stress levels on emotional eating scores. The results regarding the insignificant effect of attachment anxiety levels (high, low), attachment avoidance levels, perceived stress levels and perfectionism levels on EE appear to be contradictory considering previous research. Keywords: Attachment Dimensions, Emotional Eating behaviours, Perfectionism, Perceived Stress