Wu Fei, Vartanian Lenny R, Faasse Kate
School of Psychology, University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney), Sydney, NSW 2052, Australia.
Nutrients. 2025 Jul 8;17(14):2259. doi: 10.3390/nu17142259.
: Consuming comfort food is a common experience in daily life, but the underlying motives for engaging in comfort eating remain unclear. This study examined people's expectations regarding their comfort food and investigated whether these expectations are associated with their frequency of comfort eating. As an exploratory aim, we also examined whether there are gender differences in preference for different categories of comfort food (i.e., sweet or savory) and the frequency of engaging in comfort eating. : Through an online survey, participants ( = 214) reported their primary comfort food, the frequency of comfort eating in the short term (i.e., the past two weeks), and the general trend over the long term. They also rated statements related to their primary comfort food based on five expectation subscales (i.e., Manage Negative Affect; Pleasurable and Rewarding; Enhances Cognitive Competence; Alleviates Boredom; Positive Feelings). : Although Pleasurable and Rewarding and Positive Feelings received the strongest level of endorsement, their associations with the frequency-related variables were weak in both correlational and regression analyses. In contrast, Manage Negative Affect, Alleviates Boredom, and Enhances Cognitive Competence were positively associated with all frequency-related variables, with Alleviates Boredom showing the most consistent pattern. There were no significant gender differences in preferences for sweet or savory comfort food, and no significant gender differences in the frequency of eating comfort food. : These findings suggest people believe they can gain a range of expected benefits from consuming comfort foods and perceive themselves as consuming comfort food primarily for rewarding themselves or gaining positive feelings. However, it is the expectations of managing negative affect, alleviating boredom, and enhancing cognitive competence that motivate them to engage in comfort eating.
食用安慰食品是日常生活中的常见体验，但进行安慰性饮食的潜在动机仍不明确。本研究调查了人们对安慰食品的期望，并探究这些期望是否与他们安慰性饮食的频率相关。作为一个探索性目标，我们还研究了在对不同种类安慰食品（即甜口或咸口）的偏好以及安慰性饮食频率方面是否存在性别差异。
通过一项在线调查，参与者（(n = 214)）报告了他们主要的安慰食品、短期内（即过去两周）安慰性饮食的频率以及长期的总体趋势。他们还根据五个期望子量表（即管理负面情绪；愉悦且有回报；增强认知能力；减轻无聊；积极情绪）对与他们主要安慰食品相关的陈述进行了评分。
尽管“愉悦且有回报”和“积极情绪”获得了最高程度的认可，但在相关性分析和回归分析中，它们与频率相关变量的关联都很弱。相比之下，“管理负面情绪”“减轻无聊”和“增强认知能力”与所有频率相关变量呈正相关，其中“减轻无聊”呈现出最一致的模式。在对甜口或咸口安慰食品的偏好上没有显著的性别差异，在食用安慰食品的频率上也没有显著的性别差异。
这些发现表明，人们认为他们可以从食用安慰食品中获得一系列预期的益处，并认为自己食用安慰食品主要是为了犒劳自己或获得积极情绪。然而，正是管理负面情绪、减轻无聊和增强认知能力的期望促使他们进行安慰性饮食。
