Emotion word use patterns and eating disorder symptoms: Considering the circumplex model of affect and basic emotions theory

AbstractObjectiveNo prior research has examined whether the types of emotion words individuals use to describe their affective experiences cluster along affective dimensions inherent within leading affect theories, or how such emotion word use maps onto eating disorder (ED) symptoms.MethodTo address these gaps, latent profile analysis was used to empirically‐identify groups of young adults (N = 352) by how often they use emotion words characterized by the circumplex model of affect's valence‐arousal dimensions and basic emotions theory's basic versus complex emotion word categorizations. Auxiliary analyses examined differences in groups' ED symptoms (binge eating, purging, restricting, excessive exercising, muscle building, body dissatisfaction, and cognitive restraint).ResultsThe 5‐profile valence‐arousal model and 4‐profile basic‐complex model were the best‐fitting theoretically‐supported solutions. Valence‐arousal profiles with greater negative affect valence generally exhibited worse ED pathology than others, whereas profiles with greater positive affect valence produced inconsistent risk‐ and protective‐factor relations with distinct ED symptoms. Basic‐complex profiles characterized by frequent use of both basic and complex emotion words generally had the greatest ED severity, and profiles with greater basic emotion word use exhibited elevated binge eating.DiscussionIndividual‐differences in young adults' emotion word use patterns, versus sample‐level averages only, warrant further consideration in ED prevention and research.Public SignificanceThe present findings suggest that young adults differ in the types of words they use to describe their emotional experiences, and that these unique emotion word use patterns are linked to distinct eating disorder symptoms. These sources of variation warrant further consideration in eating disorders prevention efforts and future research seeking to advance affect‐based eating disorders theories.