Personality, Binge Eating, and the Experience of Self-Monitoring of Eating Behaviors

Noel C. Gonzalez, School of Psychology

Although self-monitoring is a key intervention for eating disorders treatment, its success has been limited. Personality factors strongly linked to eating disorders (e.g., impulsivity) may also hinder the ability to self-monitor.  To explore this link, 588 undergraduate students were assessed for eating disorders (e.g., binge eating), personality factors (e.g., conscientiousness/preference for perception over judging), and carried a food diary for four consecutive days.  Multiple regression using personality and level of binge eating was used to predict diary outcomes (e.g., completion, ease of use).  Results showed no significant contribution of personality factors or eating disorder severity on the success of diary completion, in contrast to previous research on this topic.  Methodological factors (e.g., population characteristics, potential measurement error) likely contributed to the lack of findings.