Associations between use of self-regulatory strategies and daily eating patterns: An experience sampling study in college-aged women

Abstract Previous theorizing suggests there are multiple means by which people regulate their emotions and impulses, but that these strategies vary in the degree to they support goal attainment. Some have proposed proactive (e.g. situation selection, distraction) may be particularly effective, while interventive suppression) less effective. Despite diverging predictions, researchers yet examine spontaneous use of respective combined efficacy when applied momentary food desires experienced daily life. In present study, we assessed eating patterns for one week via ecological assessment college-aged women (N = 106). Results from pre-registered analyses indicated using a variety strategies, including preventative such as selection distraction, was associated with greater self-control success, indexed weaker desires, higher resistance, lower likelihood enacting consumed. A similar pattern observed participants implemented additional during desire episodes, were more likely do conflicted other self-regulatory goals. All associations controlling hunger levels, dieting status, age, body mass index. These findings consistent growing work assessing people’s emotion regulation everyday contexts, suggesting potential meta-motivational tendencies marked flexible adaptive strategies.