DISCUSS SUCCESS AND FAILURES OF EATING.

(8+16) 

AO1 Restraint Theory-Failure

­­Restraint theory proposed by Herman and Mack suggest that attempting not to eat actually increases the probability of overeating, which is why many diets fail. In an attempt to explain why dieting may to overeating, Herman and Mack developed the boundary model. According to this model, hunger keeps intake of food above a certain minimum and satiety works to keep intake below some maximum level. Between these two level, psychological factors have the greatest impact on consumption. According to this model, dieters have a larger range between their hunger and satiety levels, so it takes them longer to feel hungry and more food to feel satisfied. Dieters also have a self imposed desirable level of food intake. When they perceive themselves as going beyond this level they experience the disinhibition effect and continue to eat until satisfied. They are more likely to go over this level. If they have eaten something forbidden like cake.

AO2

There is empirical evidence from Herman and Mack to support this. Using a preload taste method, Herman and Mack gave a group of dieters and non group of dieters either high or low calorie pre load. The results indicated that whereas the non dieter showed compensatory regulatory behaviour and ate less during the taste test after a high calorie preload. The dieters consumed more in the taste test if they had the high calorie preload than the low calorie preload. This demonstrates the disinhibtion effect among dieters supporting the theory.

IDA

The boundary model is commended however for its incorporation of combing both biological and psychological influences combining both biological influences (nature) and the cognitive influences therefore taking a multidimensional or holistic approach rather than an over simplified approach with one view.

IDA

A limitation on the restraint theory however is that it relies on the belief of an association between over eating and restriction. However Ogden points out that although dieters and bulimics report episodes of over eating the behaviour of restricting anorexics cannot be accounted for by the theory. If trying not to eat results in over eating then how to anorexics manage to starve themselves.

AO1 The theory of ironic processes of mental control-Failure

Another explanation is the role of denial. Research into cognitive psychology has shown that attempting to suppress or deny a thought frequently has the opposite effect, making it more prominent. For example Wegner refers to this phenomenon as the theory of ironic processes of mental control, because it represents a paradoxical effects of thought control, i.e denial often backfires. This kind of thought suppression is central to most dieting as dieters attempt to suppress thoughts about hunger and places restrictions on certain foods. This instead increases the dieters preoccupation with the very food they are trying to deny themselves in turn the foods they deny themselves are simultaneously becomes more attractive.

AO2

Soetens et al provides empirical research evidence to support this theory. They divided participants into 2 groups, restrained and unrestrained eaters. The restrained group was subdivided into those who were either high or low on disinhibition. The disinhibited restrained group used more thought suppression than the other groups and also showed more thought suppression than the other groups whilst also showing a rebound effect (thought more about the food) afterwards. This study demonstrates and supports the theory of ironic processes of mental control.

IDA

A criticism of theory however is that its too reductionist as it only focuses on cognitive factors and explains that thought suppression is the main failure of dieting. However a biological explanation would say that instead of cognitive cravings for food, dieting fails due to physical cravings for food from signals from our hypothalamus.