Kuijer Roeline G, Tunley Madeline K
University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Br J Health Psychol. 2025 Sep;30(3):e12806. doi: 10.1111/bjhp.12806.
Many people experience ambivalence about food (e.g., broccoli is healthy, but boring; chocolate is tasty, but fattening). However, research examining the link between ambivalence and eating behaviour is scarce and findings are mixed. Self-compassion may influence the extent to which ambivalence is experienced and regulated. In two studies, we investigated the relationship between ambivalence towards healthy and unhealthy food and eating behaviour, and examined the role of self-compassion.
A cross-sectional study (Study 1) and a short-term prospective study (Study 2).
Ambivalence (degree and strength of opposing evaluations) was assessed in relation to images of healthy and unhealthy foods. Study 1 (N = 206) assessed ambivalence, self-compassion and self-reported eating behaviour measures cross-sectionally. Study 2 (N = 155) measured ambivalence and self-compassion at baseline and self-reported eating behaviour measures 3 weeks later.
Unhealthy foods elicited more ambivalence than healthy foods. As expected, greater self-compassion was related to healthier eating behaviours and healthy food ambivalence mediated this relationship. Individuals high in self-compassion exhibited less ambivalence to healthy food images, which in turn was related to overall healthier eating patterns. In contrast, ambivalence to unhealthy foods was unrelated to self-compassion and mostly unrelated to the eating behaviour measures. Findings were consistent across both studies.
Individuals with higher levels of self-compassion exhibited less ambivalence towards healthy foods (but not unhealthy foods). Although healthy foods generated less ambivalence than unhealthy foods did, greater healthy food ambivalence was consistently related to unhealthier eating behaviour patterns.
许多人对食物存在矛盾心理（例如，西兰花健康，但乏味；巧克力美味，但会使人发胖）。然而，研究矛盾心理与饮食行为之间联系的研究很少，且结果不一。自我同情可能会影响矛盾心理的体验程度和调节方式。在两项研究中，我们调查了对健康和不健康食物的矛盾心理与饮食行为之间的关系，并检验了自我同情的作用。
一项横断面研究（研究1）和一项短期前瞻性研究（研究2）。
针对健康和不健康食物的图片评估矛盾心理（对立评价的程度和强度）。研究1（N = 206）横断面评估矛盾心理、自我同情和自我报告的饮食行为指标。研究2（N = 155）在基线时测量矛盾心理和自我同情，并在3周后测量自我报告的饮食行为指标。
不健康食物比健康食物引发更多矛盾心理。正如预期的那样，更高的自我同情与更健康的饮食行为相关，且对健康食物的矛盾心理介导了这种关系。自我同情水平高的个体对健康食物图片表现出的矛盾心理较少，这反过来又与总体上更健康的饮食模式相关。相比之下，对不健康食物的矛盾心理与自我同情无关，且大多与饮食行为指标无关。两项研究的结果一致。
自我同情水平较高的个体对健康食物（而非不健康食物）表现出较少的矛盾心理。尽管健康食物产生的矛盾心理比不健康食物少，但对健康食物的更大矛盾心理始终与更不健康的饮食行为模式相关。
