The effects of stress on eating patterns and the effects of stress and attachment on eating behaviour and food preference in stress under-eaters and stress-eaters
This article-based thesis examined the effects of stress and attachment
style on eating. The first article explored the effects of stress on the eating
patterns of undergraduate students. Results demonstrated that stress leads
to reported unhealthy changes in eating habits. Specifically, stress led to
increased reported preference for take-out food options. Findings showed
that gender influenced stress-related snacking and loss of control over
eating. The second article examined the influences of stress and
attachment on eating in self-reported stress under-eaters and stress-eaters.
The results demonstrated that attachment style uniquely influences the
eating of these two distinct groups and that stress and attachment have
differential effects on eating. These findings add to the paucity of research
investigating the effects of stress on eating from a naturalistic approach.
These results also identify various idiosyncrasies of these two novel
groups and highlight the role of attachment in disordered eating behaviour.Master of Arts (MA) in Psycholog