Relations of restraint and negative affect to bulimic pathology: a longitudinal test of three competing models.

OBJECTIVE

Although theorists have proposed that restraint and negative affect cause bulimia nervosa, it is possible that bulimic pathology promotes restraint and negative affect, or that bulimic symptoms are reciprocally related to these two factors. The present study tested these competing models.

METHOD

Longitudinal data from a community sample of adolescent females (N = 218) was used to test these alternative models.

RESULTS

Prospective correlations suggested that bulimic pathology was reciprocally related to both restraint and negative affect. However, in more stringent tests controlling for the temporal stability of these factors, restraint was not related to subsequent bulimic symptoms, but bulimic pathology predicted future restraint. Negative affect and bulimic symptoms were not related over time when the stability of these factors was controlled, but they did show contemporaneous reciprocal relations.

DISCUSSION

Results provide some support for the negative affect model of bulimia, but raise questions about the restraint model.