The Effect of Maladaptive Early Parent-Child Bonding on Approach/Avoidance Eating Behavior

• In Event: Poster Session 10
  In Poster Session: PS 10 Topic - Developmental Psychopathology

Abstract

Precursors of eating disorders begin developing during childhood; for instance, almost 50% of 6-year-old girls indicate that they are unhappy with their current size and would diet if they gained weight (Dohnt & Tiggemann, 2006). Approach/avoidance behaviors towards food, or the unconscious motivations that drive people to choose particular foods, have been understudied as a means of prevention/intervention. Broadly, approach behaviors lead individuals towards a desired outcome, while avoidance behaviors lead individuals away from negative outcomes (Gray, 1990). However, in the context of food, strong approach/avoidance behaviors can be productive or maladaptive. For instance, those who have strong approach tendencies towards healthy foods are more likely to be average weight, whereas someone with strong approach tendencies towards unhealthy foods may be overweight or engage in binge eating (e.g., Deluchi et al., 2017).
Research suggests that early parent-child relationship characteristics, in particular warmth, may provide barriers against thin idealization in emerging adulthood (Jones et al., 2019). However, the actual behaviors that develop in parent-child relationships and how this affects eating behavior, have not been examined. This is important, as identifying the effects of such concrete, maladaptive attachment “rules” will allow clinicians to directly target specific behaviors/beliefs, in turn leading to improved interpersonal and eating schemas. Therefore, we adapted an inventory of early bonding rules (Wesselmann, 2018) in order to determine how such parent-child relationship rules might affect approach/avoidance behaviors towards foods. We hypothesized that participants with more maladaptive relationship rules with their parents during childhood would have more dysfunctional approach/avoidance strategies with foods as adults.
Self-report data were obtained from 88 women (Mage=21.30, SD = 4.55), who were, on average, slightly overweight (MBMI=26.18, SD = 6.79). To assess poor parent-child relationships during childhood, the Maladaptive Early Bonding Rules inventory was adapted as a survey (Wesselmann, 2018). Approach/avoidance behaviors related to foods were measured using subscales from the Approach/Avoidance Food Survey (Jones, 2020). Several hierarchical analyses were completed, all with BMI in Step 1. Maladaptive bonding with fathers during childhood did not significantly affect any approach/avoidance behaviors, nor did maladaptive bonding with mothers affect avoidance behaviors. Maladaptive bonding between mothers and daughters during childhood significantly impacted women’s approach behaviors towards food (see Table 1).
These results partially support our hypothesis, as higher maladaptive bonding scores with mothers were associated with decreased approach towards healthy foods, and increased approach towards unhealthy foods. It is notable that although this sample was overweight on average, these relationships remained significant even once BMI was controlled for. These findings suggest that poor relationships with mothers during childhood may lead girls to develop dysfunctional approach strategies, such that as adults they utilize unhealthy foods as rewards. Our findings suggest the importance of prevention/intervention in maladaptive relationship rule development between mothers and daughters, as these childhood patterns may exert real health effects on women in emerging adulthood. Future research should seek to determine which paternal bonding rules, if any, may affect women’s approach/avoidance behaviors.

Authors

• Maegan Jones, St. Cloud State University
  Presenting Author

• Valerie Douglas, San Diego State University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Sean Bresnahan, St. Cloud State University
  Non-Presenting Author