Restating hypothesis 1, three separate sub-hypotheses were formulated. Hypothesis 1a predicted that a significant positive correlation will exist between eating pathology, measured by SCOFF and EDDS composite score, and perceived emotional intensity, measured by EIS total score and ACS total score. Hypothesis 1b stated that a significant positive correlation will exist between eating pathology – SCOFF and EDDS composite score, and emotion dysregulation, measured by DERS total score. Hypothesis 1c stated that a significant negative correlation will be identified between eating pathology, represented by the SCOFF and EDDS composite score;
and self-compassion, measured by SCS total score. Lastly, hypothesis 1d stated that emotion regulation will mediate the relationship between emotion intensity and disordered eating.
Correlations. An initial exploratory correlation was conducted solely between the
emotion intensity and emotion regulation variables. Significant correlations were identified and are illustrated in table 5.
Table 5.
Hypothesis 1 analyses: Correlations between emotion regulation (DERS), affective control (ACS), emotion intensity (EIS), and self-compassion (SCS).
EIS ACS DERS SCS
EIS --
ACS 0.31* --
DERS 0.37* 0.77* --
SCS -0.29* -0.61* -0.71* --
Note: *p < 0.001, N = 209; EIS = Emotion Intensity Scale, ACS = Affective Control Scale, DERS = Difficulties with Emotion Regulation Scale, SCS = Self-compassion Scale.
In order to address hypotheses 1, a correlation analysis was computed using the variables EDDS composite score and SCOFF, and the total scores of EIS, ACS, DERS, and SCS. No significant correlations were identified between the emotion intensity/dysregulation and the EDDS composite score. For further detail, see Table 6.
In interpreting the EDDS composite score, Krabbenborg, Danner, Larse, van der Veer, van Elburg, and colleagues (2011) suggested that a cutoff score of 16.5 to successfully
discriminates clinical participants from controls and no cutoff was provided for subclinical levels of risky eating. In effect, this measure is employed as part of the diagnostic assessment for eating pathology and therefore, it may not be suitable for exploring subclinical disordered eating
patterns. In the current study, the EDDS composite score ranged from 0.01 to 27.22, with a mode of 3.63. These data suggested that most of our sample exhibited sub-clinical eating
behaviours and the EDDS composite score was not a sufficiently sensitive measure for them. On the other hand, the SCOFF questionnaire is an alternate measure of eating pathology. As noted in the methods section, SCOFF scores range from 0 to 5, with 2 as a minimal indicator of “at risk” eating patterns. Furthermore, the SCOFF is routinely used as a screener for disordered eating and may be sensitive enough to detect tendencies to pathological behaviours in the general population (sensitivity ranging from 87 to 100%, Morgan, Reid, & Lacey, 1999). Considering that the current study employed a sub-clinical sample, the SCOFF is an appropriate measure to explore eating pathology tendencies. A correlation between SCOFF and the variables of emotion processing revealed a positive correlation between this measure of problematic eating and ACS, EIS, and DERS. Similarly, a significant negative correlation was found between disordered
eating and SCS. This correlation indicates that higher disordered eating scores are associated with reports of higher levels of affective control, emotion dysregulation, and depressive
symptomatology. In contrast, higher disordered eating is inversely correlated with reported self- compassion. Table 6 below illustrates these correlations.
Table 6.
Hypothesis 1a and 1b analyses: Correlations between managed eating (SCOFF and EDDS) and emotion regulation (DERS), affective control (ACS,) emotion intensity (EIS), and self-compassion (SCS).
Measure Disordered eating
measured by SCOFF
Disordered eating measured by EDDS composite score Emotion Intensity Scale (EIS) .162 ((p = .019) -.065 (p = .348)
Affective Control Scale (ACS)
.429 (p < .001) -.029 (p = .678)
Difficulties with Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS)
.502 (p < .001) .013 (p = .856)
Self-Compassion Scale (SCS) -.477 (p < .001) .082 (p = .238)
Note: Measures are clustered as follows: emotion intensity (EIS and ACS), emotion regulation (DERS), self- compassion (SCS)
Mediation analysis. In addressing hypothesis 1d, a mediation analysis was conducted
according to Preacher and Hayes methodology (2004), wherein SCOFF scores represented the outcome, Emotion Intensity Scale (EIS) total score represented the predictor, and Difficulties with Emotion Regulation (DERS) total score represented the mediator. For the purposes of this mediation analysis, EIS and DERS were the only variables selected as they were the most representative measurements of the target constructs: experience of emotion intensity and emotion dysregulation, respectively. The total effect of emotion intensity on disordered eating was significant, c = 0.162, t(207) = 2.368, p < 0.001. Emotion intensity predicted the mediating variable, emotion regulation: a = 0.374, t(207) = 5.803, p < 0.001. When controlling for
emotion intensity, emotion regulation predicts eating pathology, b = 0.513, t(207) = 7.891, p < 0.001. The estimated direct effect of emotion intensity on eating pathology, mediated by emotion regulation was c’ = -0.029, t(208) = -0.451, p = 0.652 (Figure 1.)
The indirect effect, ab was 0.02, which was deemed significant by the Sobel test (1982),
z=4.67, p = 0.001. Using the Preacher and Hayes (2004) indirect effect assessment procedure, a
bootstrapping analysis was performed wherein 5000 samples were requested. For this accelerated and bias-corrected confidence interval of 95%, the lower limit was 0.01 and the upper limit was 0.03.
Considering that both a and b coefficients were statistically significant, the boostrapping confident interval for ab did not include zero, and the Sobel test was significant, the indirect effect of emotion intensity on eating pathology mediated by emotion regulation is significant. The direct path from emotion intensity through emotion regulation to disordered eating (c’) was rendered non-significant, which supports a full mediation relationship.
Figure 1.
Hypothesis 1c analysis: Mediation analysis between emotion intensity, emotion regulation, and managed eating behaviours.
Note: Standardized regression coefficients for the relationship between emotion intensity and disordered eating patterns as mediated by emotion regulation. The standardized regression coefficient between emotion intensity and managed eating, controlling for emotion regulation is in parantheses. *p < 0.05; **p < 0.001.