Objectives: Loss-of-control eating (LOCE) is often conceptualized as a negative reinforcement mechanism. However, LOCE does not consistently reduce negative affect (NA). One explanation for continued LOCE, despite a lack of NA reduction, may be expectations of NA reduction. Emotion regulation difficulties and low distress tolerance often predict LOCE, but have not been examined in the context of NA reduction expectancies.
Design: This study examined the main and interactive relationships between emotion regulation difficulties, distress tolerance and NA reduction expectancies on LOCE in US adults (n = 3331).
Method: This study consisted of a battery of surveys administered to a national sample of US adults.
Results: Results indicate NA reduction expectancies are robust, eclipsing the predictive effects of other emotion regulation variables. Distress tolerance was only able to attenuate the relationship between emotion regulation difficulties and LOCE when NA reduction expectancies were low.
Conclusions: These findings identify NA reduction expectancies as having a strong relationship with LOCE, such that the protective factor of distress tolerance is only relevant when such expectancies are low. Clinical implications suggest that targeting NA reduction expectancies in eating interventions that bolster emotion regulation difficulties and distress tolerance may improve the effectiveness of said interventions. Additionally, stand-alone expectancy interventions should be assessed for the purpose of LOCE reduction. Directions for future research are discussed.
Keywords: distress tolerance; eating expectancies; emotion regulation difficulties; loss-of-control eating.
© 2022 The British Psychological Society.