Impact of Attachment on the Relationship Between Emotion-Regulation, Body Satisfaction, and Compulsive Exercise in Female College Athletes

Abstract

Guided by attachment theory and social comparison theory, this study examines the impact of attachment on the relationship between emotion regulation, body satisfaction, and compulsive exercise in female college athletes. According to which team the individual was a member of, the 118 participants were grouped into either aesthetic sport participating (e.g. cheerleading, cross country) or non-aesthetic sport participating (e.g. softball, basketball). Analyses revealed that emotion regulation scores moderated the relationship between attachment and body satisfaction scores. Body satisfaction was significantly, negatively correlated with compulsive exercise scores indicating that the higher an individual’s body satisfaction, the lower their compulsive exercise score. Despite predictions, there were no significant differences between aesthetic sport participating athletes and non-aesthetic sport participating athletes, which further emphasizes the importance of the role of attachment and emotion regulation on body satisfaction scores in female athletes. This research provides salient implications for college athletes, college coaches, athletic training staff members, and parents of athletes. Suggestions for practice and future research are presented in the discussion.