Event Title
Restrictive Diets, Self Regulation and Risky Health Behaviors
Location
Parker-Reed, SSWAC
Start Date
1-5-2014 1:00 PM
End Date
1-5-2014 2:00 PM
Project Type
Poster
Description
Researchers have been interested in models of self regulation that assert that individuals have a limited capacity for self regulation and thus when the limit is reached, react more to their impulses (Wagner et al., 2013). Self regulation is the ability for one to control their impulses and actions, and can be depleted due to a wide range of activities. For the present study, we were interested in restrictive dieting populations (vegetarians, vegan, gluten free) because their self-restricted diet and lifestyle, especially on a college campus, manifests itself in a way that requires individuals to constantly control impulses for food and drinks in the dining halls. Previous research suggests that high self regulation negatively predicts heavy drinking and unprotected sex (Quinn and Kim, 2010), an effect found after in lab exercises to deplete self-regulation. This suggests that non-specific self regulation depletion (i.e. diet) has wider reaching implications on behavior. We looked at restrictive diets to see how their self regulation mediated their risky behavior by measuring their intention to participate in a variety of activities: having multiple sex partners, unprotected sex, binge drinking, cigarette smoking and marijuana use and found that there was a correlation between high intent for risky behavior and restrictive diets.
Faculty Sponsor
Allecia Reid McCarthy
Sponsoring Department
Colby College. Psychology Dept.
CLAS Field of Study
Social Sciences
Event Website
http://www.colby.edu/clas
ID
334
Restrictive Diets, Self Regulation and Risky Health Behaviors
Parker-Reed, SSWAC
Researchers have been interested in models of self regulation that assert that individuals have a limited capacity for self regulation and thus when the limit is reached, react more to their impulses (Wagner et al., 2013). Self regulation is the ability for one to control their impulses and actions, and can be depleted due to a wide range of activities. For the present study, we were interested in restrictive dieting populations (vegetarians, vegan, gluten free) because their self-restricted diet and lifestyle, especially on a college campus, manifests itself in a way that requires individuals to constantly control impulses for food and drinks in the dining halls. Previous research suggests that high self regulation negatively predicts heavy drinking and unprotected sex (Quinn and Kim, 2010), an effect found after in lab exercises to deplete self-regulation. This suggests that non-specific self regulation depletion (i.e. diet) has wider reaching implications on behavior. We looked at restrictive diets to see how their self regulation mediated their risky behavior by measuring their intention to participate in a variety of activities: having multiple sex partners, unprotected sex, binge drinking, cigarette smoking and marijuana use and found that there was a correlation between high intent for risky behavior and restrictive diets.
https://digitalcommons.colby.edu/clas/2014/program/264