Social Anxiety and Emotion Control Strategies: Can Eating Disorder Symptoms be predicted?

The purpose of this study is to investigate the potential roles of emotion control strategies and social anxiety in explaining and predicting eating disorder symptoms. The statistical population included all students of the Mohaghegh Ardabili University, studying in the 2015/2016 academic year. Data on social anxiety, emotion control, and eating disorder symptoms were collected from 190 students of Mohaghegh Ardebili University, using the Social Phobia Inventory (SPIN), Eating Attitude Test - 26 (EAT-26), and Emotion Control Questionnaire - 2 (ECQ-2). Pearson’s correlation coefficient statistical method and stepwise regression were applied. Rehearsal and benign control (subscales of emotion control questionnaire) positively correlated with all three subscales of social anxiety (fear, avoidance, and physiological arousal). Among different subscales of social anxiety, only avoidance could predict dieting and oral control. Among different subscales of eating disorder test, benign control was the only subscale of emotion control questionnaire that could predict bulimia and food preoccupation. This study suggests that social anxiety and emotion control are, to some extent, related and can partially predict eating disorder symptoms.