Neuroticism and conscientiousness as predictors of emotional, external, and restrained eating behaviors

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the extent to which different forms of eating behavior as assessed by the Dutch Eating Behaviour Questionnaire are related to facets of the Big Five personality domains. METHOD: Respondents were 167 psychology students (126 females and 41 males) who volunteered for the study. RESULTS: Body mass index (BMI) and gender had significant main effects on eating behaviors. These results were moderated by a significant BMI x Gender interaction on emotional eating. Eating behaviors were significantly related to the personality facets associated with Neuroticism and Conscientiousness. DISCUSSION: The results are discussed with reference to previous research on eating behaviors and the nature of Neuroticism and Conscientiousness.