Date of Award

2025

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

MA in Psychology

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Wilson McDermut

Second Advisor

Dana Chesney

Abstract

Disordered eating (DE) refers to problematic eating habits that do not meet clinical criteria for eating disorders. However, if it goes unnoticed and escalates, it could eventually lead to an eating disorder (ED). The current study sought to investigate DE tendencies in relation to attachment styles, emotional dysregulation and personality dysfunction among university undergraduates (n = 254). The sample consisted of 74.8% female participants, 23.6% male participants, and 1.6% non-binary participants. The mean age of participants was 19.45 years (SD = 1.67). Emotional Dysregulation emerged as the strongest correlate of DE tendencies (r = 0.29, p < 0.05), indicating a moderate positive association between these two variables. Global Personality Dysfunction was also moderately associated with DE tendencies (r = 0.26, p < 0.05). Attachment style was positively correlated with DE tendencies (r = 0.25, p < 0.05). In a multiple regression analysis examining the predictive value of attachment, emotion regulation and personality, “Emotional Dysregulation” emerged as the sole and most robust predictor of disordered eating (DE) tendencies, demonstrating a statistically significant effect (β = 0.187, p = .026). However, when analyzed separately, Attachment and Personality Dysfunction still accounted for 4.8% and 11.5% of the variance in the outcome variable, respectively. These findings suggest that attachment insecurity, emotional dysregulation and personality dysfunction may be risk factors for developing an eating disorder. These findings also suggest that a thorough understanding of Eating Disordered behaviors should involve assessment of attachment styles, emotional regulation and personality dysfunction.

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