Ecological momentary assessment of mood regulation eating expectancies in eating disorders: Convergent and predictive validity

Objective Eating expectancies (EE) are the anticipation of various benefits or detriments from eating, with mood regulation being a salient type of EE associated with eating disorders. This study examined the convergent and predictive validity of ecological momentary assessment (EMA) mood regulation EE items, including mood improvement and mood worsening EE. Methods Thirty women with binge‐eating pathology completed a 14‐day EMA protocol, which included measures of mood regulation EE, affect, appetite, appearance‐ and body‐related factors and disordered‐eating behaviours. Results Greater within‐subjects hunger and lower within‐subjects positive affect and fullness were related to elevated mood improvement EE. Higher within‐subjects appearance concerns, fullness, body social comparisons and thinness pressure were associated with higher mood worsening EE. Greater within‐subjects mood worsening EE predicted greater likelihood of vomiting at the subsequent time point, but there were no within‐subjects associations between mood improvement EE and behaviours. Yet, greater between‐subjects mood worsening EE were associated with more restraint/restriction and binge eating, and greater between‐subjects mood improvement EE were associated with more binge eating. Conclusions Findings support the convergent validity of EMA mood regulation EE items. There was limited predictive validity evidence, suggesting complexities in how mood regulation EE predict behaviour in daily life. Highlights The convergent and predictive validity of ecological momentary assessment (EMA) mood regulation eating expectancy (EE) items was examined. Analyses supported the convergent validity of EMA mood regulation EE items. There was limited evidence for the predictive validity of EMA mood regulation EE items.