# A Longitudinal Examination of Reward, Eating Expectancies, and Inhibitory Control in the Progression of Loss of Control Eating

> **NIH NIH P20** · SANFORD RESEARCH NORTH · 2022 · $146,603

## Abstract

A longitudinal examination of reward, eating expectancies, and inhibitory control in the progression of
loss of control eating
PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Binge eating (BE) is a transdiagnostic symptom of bulimic spectrum disorders, and is associated with weight
gain, obesity, psychosocial impairment, and increased risk for medical comorbidity. Current interventions for
BE are limited in their efficacy, suggesting the need for improved prevention and treatment approaches which
directly target mechanisms of BE onset and maintenance. Theory suggests that positive eating expectancies
(i.e., beliefs about the reinforcing consequences of food consumption) may be a key mechanism relating a
history of reinforcement from eating and risk for BE symptoms. While evidence indicates that eating
expectancies are a robust predictor of BE, limited work has examined the hypothesis that reinforcement history
shapes eating expectancies. Further, evidence suggests that abnormalities in reward processing and inhibitory
control may compound risk for BE, however, no study to date has examined the prospective relationships
between these constructs within a comprehensive theoretical model using multi-modal assessment. Therefore,
the current application seeks to examine an etiological model of BE symptom progression, which incorporates
observed abnormalities in reward processing and inhibitory control within an expectancy-based framework
among individuals demonstrating symptoms of BE (i.e., loss of control eating, LOC) using a longitudinal
design. More specifically, the project will test a moderated mediation model hypothesizing that greater
reinforcement from LOC eating episodes at baseline (i.e., reductions in negative affect and increases in
positive affect as assessed by ecological momentary assessment) will lead to increases in eating expectancies
at 3-month follow-up (i.e., expectancies that eating reduces negative emotions and increases feelings of
pleasantness/reward), which will subsequently lead to increased frequency of LOC eating and progression to
BE at 6-month follow-up. It is further hypothesized that higher reward responsiveness (e.g., reward sensitivity,
preference for immediate rewards) will amplify the relationship between eating reinforcement history and eating
expectancies, while decreased inhibitory control is hypothesized to amplify the relationship between eating
expectancies and BE symptoms. Given this project’s focus on identifying mechanisms of BE symptom
progression, findings from the current project would help to identify malleable maintenance factors for LOC
eating and risk factors for BE, which could be targeted in treatment and prevention efforts.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10379918
- **Project number:** 5P20GM134969-02
- **Recipient organization:** SANFORD RESEARCH NORTH
- **Principal Investigator:** Lauren Marie Schaefer
- **Activity code:** P20 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $146,603
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-04-01 → 2026-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10379918

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10379918, A Longitudinal Examination of Reward, Eating Expectancies, and Inhibitory Control in the Progression of Loss of Control Eating (5P20GM134969-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10379918. Licensed CC0.

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