The Attitudes to Chocolate Questionnaire. Psychometric properties and relationship with consumption, dieting, disinhibition and thought suppression

Dinska Van Gucht*, Barbara Soetens, Filip Raes, James W. Griffith

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

21 Scopus citations

Abstract

We examined the psychometric properties of the Dutch version of the Attitudes to Chocolate Questionnaire (ACQ), comparing the original three-factor model to a later-suggested two-factor model. We evaluated the construct validity of the ACQ by investigating the associations between the resulting factors and other eating-related questionnaires such as the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire and the Food Thought Suppression Inventory. Finally, we compared the scores on several scales regarding eating behavior between different groups (men versus women, dieters versus non-dieters and cravers versus non-cravers). A confirmatory factor analysis of the Dutch ACQ indicated the best global fit indices for the two-factor model, with the resulting factors being "Negative consequences and Guilt" and "Craving and emotional eating". Both factors were associated with other eating-related dimensions. However, craving seemed to be uniquely associated with the amount of chocolate consumed per week, whereas guilt correlated strongly with restraint. Finally, women scored higher on nearly all scales, but there was no significant gender difference with regard to chocolate consumption. Dieters reported more disinhibition, restraint, food-thought suppression and guilt, but they did not significantly differ from non-dieters with regards to their levels of craving, hunger nor consumption.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)137-143
Number of pages7
JournalAppetite
Volume76
DOIs
StatePublished - May 1 2014

Funding

Acknowledgements: Dinska Van Gucht and James W. Griffith (GP.035.11N) were supported by an FWO-grant of the Research Foundation – Flanders (FWO), Belgium. The authors would like to thank Karen De Winter and Jolien Van Loven for their assistance in collecting the data.

Keywords

  • Attitudes to Chocolate Questionnaire
  • Craving
  • Dieting
  • Disinhibition
  • Factor analysis
  • Food-thought suppression

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Nutrition and Dietetics
  • General Psychology

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