Assessing feeder motivations and behaviour within couples using the Feeder Questionnaire.

This study first aimed to provide additional validation for a new tool to measure Feeder Motivations and Behaviour. Second, it aimed to evaluate how feeder motivations and behaviour are enacted within romantic relationships and whether this reflects a reciprocal or linear dynamic. Participants completed the Feeder Questionnaire composed of six motivational subscales (affection; waste avoidance; status; hunger avoidance; offloading; manners) and one subscale to measure feeder behaviour, measures of eating behaviour (restrained, emotional and external eating) and their BMI. Participants were analysed as individuals (n = 190) and within couples as dyads (n = 76 couples). In terms of validation of the measure, analysis using the non-dyadic data showed good internal reliability for all subscales and moderate correlations between feeder behaviour and motivations and measures of eating behaviour. In terms of couple dynamics, dyadic data analysis indicated evidence for reciprocity within couples for BMI, feeder behaviour and feeder motivations relating to waste avoidance, affection, manners and status but not for hunger avoidance or offloading. Dyadic analysis also indicated evidence for a more linear relationship with one participant's feeder behaviour and motivations relating to their partner's emotional and external eating. This study therefore provides further support for the usefulness of the Feeder Questionnaire. The study also indicates that feeder behaviour is complex within couples and may function in a reciprocal way but also with one partner's behaviour impacting upon their partner in a more linear fashion.