1
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Leng X, Yu X, Chen Y, Wang T, Zhao F, Feng C, Feng W. Temporal dynamics of spatial attentional biases toward weight-related words among females with weight dissatisfaction. Biol Psychol 2024; 190:108807. [PMID: 38703810 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2024.108807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2023] [Revised: 04/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/29/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024]
Abstract
Attentional bias toward weight-related stimuli plays a crucial role in the development and maintenance of body image disturbances. However, the temporal dynamics of attentional biases responsible for the previously reported behavioral effects caused by the task-irrelevant but spatial-relevant weight-related stimuli presented in the peripheral visual field among females with high weight dissatisfaction (HWD) remain unclear. The present study combined the modified dot-probe task and event-related potentials to explore the temporal dynamics of spatial attentional biases toward weight-related words among females with HWD. The results showed significantly larger N2pc amplitudes were elicited by fat-related and thin-related words than neutral words only in the HWD group. Moreover, only fat-related words elicited a significant PD for the HWD group, and the PD amplitudes were larger in the HWD group than in the control group. These findings revealed that weight-related words initially captured spatial allocation among females with HWD, and then fat-related words were actively suppressed after the initial capturing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xuechen Leng
- Department of Psychology, School of Education, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 21512, China
| | - Xiaocui Yu
- Department of Psychology, School of Education, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 21512, China
| | - Yixuan Chen
- College of Teacher Education, Lishui University, Lishui, Zhejiang 323000, China
| | - Ting Wang
- Department of Psychology, School of Education, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 21512, China
| | - Fan Zhao
- Department of Psychology, School of Education, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 21512, China.
| | - Chengzhi Feng
- Department of Psychology, School of Education, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 21512, China.
| | - Wenfeng Feng
- Department of Psychology, School of Education, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 21512, China; Research Center for Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, China.
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2
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Amin S, Ly M, Misener K, Brown N, Libben M. Validation of the translated Negative Physical Self Scale in a sample of Asian women living in Canada. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0301184. [PMID: 38696442 PMCID: PMC11065207 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0301184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 05/04/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Body dissatisfaction is often linked to the internalization of Western beauty standards. Existing measures of body dissatisfaction, developed in Western societies, may fail to capture complex variations across ethnicities and cultures. The Negative Physical Self Scale (NPSS) assesses cognitive, affective, perceptual, and behavioural facets of body dissatisfaction. While unique in its consideration of Chinese ideals of body image, the NPSS has recently been translated and validated in a North American sample. The English-translated version of the NPSS has the potential to be an appropriate body dissatisfaction assessment tool for Asian women living in North America. The current study aims to validate the NPSS in an Asian female population living in Canada. METHODS A sample of 899 undergraduate women residing in Canada with self-identified Asian ethnicity completed an online survey consisting of the NPSS and other measures of body dissatisfaction. RESULTS An initial confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the four-factor structure of the NPSS, previously suggested in a primarily non-Asian North American sample, was a poor fit for the data. A second-order multidimensional model, based on a model proposed during the original development of the NPSS in a Chinese sample, indicated good fit once items were removed due to loadings < .60. High internal consistency between subscales and strong convergent validity with other measures were demonstrated. Notably, the NPSS Body Concern subscale demonstrated high convergence with other popular measures of body dissatisfaction and has the potential for use as a brief measure of body dissatisfaction among North American Asian females in clinical and research settings. CONCLUSIONS The NPSS provides a valid assessment of body dissatisfaction among a sample of Asian women living in Canada, a specific subpopulation that has not been previously investigated. The findings highlight the importance of developing culturally sensitive measures of body dissatisfaction for differing ethnic and cultural groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahrazad Amin
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - May Ly
- Department of Psychology, University of Regina, Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | - Kaylee Misener
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Okanagan, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Natalie Brown
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Maya Libben
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Okanagan, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada
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3
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Yao J, Leng X, Chen Y, Chen M, Liu A, Feng C, Feng W. Attentional suppression of weight-related distractors among females with weight dissatisfaction. Psychophysiology 2023; 60:e14408. [PMID: 37548290 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 06/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Although many studies have investigated attentional biases toward weight-related information among individuals with weight dissatisfaction, the mechanisms underlying the processing of task-irrelevant and spatial-irrelevant weight-related information as distractors remain unclear. Participants were assigned to groups according to their levels of weight dissatisfaction to address this question. Participants with high weight dissatisfaction (HWD) were assigned to the experimental group; those with low weight dissatisfaction (LWD) were assigned to a control group. By recording event-related potentials during a visual search task along the median vertical line, fatness-related/thinness-related/neutral words and scrambled strokes were presented horizontally in pairs as task-irrelevant distractors. The results showed that intact words facilitated fast attentional orienting compared to scrambled strokes, as revealed by the significant N2pc for all types of intact words for both the HWD and LWD groups. More importantly, only fatness- and thinness-related words elicited the evident PD in the HWD group, and the PD amplitudes were larger in the HWD group compared to the LWD group. These findings suggest that weight-related distractors were actively suppressed after initial attentional orienting among females with HWD. This reveals the mechanisms of attentional biases toward weight-related information among females with HWD and contributes to the model of the cognitive-behavioral theory of body image disturbance. These results may help enhance prevention and interventions for reducing weight dissatisfaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayi Yao
- Department of Psychology, School of Education, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Xuechen Leng
- Department of Psychology, School of Education, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Yixuan Chen
- College of Teacher Education, Lishui University, Lishui, China
| | - Minran Chen
- Department of Psychology, School of Education, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Aixin Liu
- Department of Psychology, School of Education, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Chengzhi Feng
- Department of Psychology, School of Education, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Wenfeng Feng
- Department of Psychology, School of Education, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
- Research Center for Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
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4
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Xie P, Sang HB, Huang CZ, Zhou AB. Effect of body-related information on food attentional bias in women with body weight dissatisfaction. Sci Rep 2023; 13:16736. [PMID: 37794105 PMCID: PMC10551023 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-43455-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Women with body weight dissatisfaction (BWD) have long-term negative assessments of their body weight, which are often associated with poor eating behavior. In this study, we investigated the effect of body-related information on the food cue processing and attention of women with BWD. Sixty-eight women were recruited and assigned to either a BWD (NPSS-F > 2) (n = 32) or a no body weight dissatisfaction (NBWD) group (NPSS-F < 1) (n = 36). We measured attentional bias to food cues (high- and low-calorie) with a food probe task after exposure to body-related information and recorded eye tracking data. Body-related images were presented prior to a pair of stimulus images (food-neutral or neutral-neutral). Body-related information and food type were repeated measure factors in our study. Our results showed that the first fixation duration bias for high-calorie foods was significantly longer than for low-calorie foods after exposure to overweight cues in the BWD group. Compared with the NBWD group, the BWD group showed longer first fixation duration bias for high-calorie foods after exposure to overweight cues. The direction for high-calorie foods was significantly more often than that for low-calorie foods in the BWD group after exposure to body-related information. Our findings suggest that compared to women with NBWD, women with BWD may be more susceptible to body-related information, resulting in increased attention to high-calorie foods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pei Xie
- College of Psychology, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, 610066, China.
- Key Laboratory of Behavioral and Mental Health, Gansu Province, China.
- Department of Psychology, School of Psychology, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, 730070, China.
| | - Han-Bin Sang
- Key Laboratory of Child Cognition & Behavior Development of Hainan, Haikou, 570100, China
- School of Teacher Education, Qiongtai Normal University, Haikou, 570100, China
| | | | - Ai-Bao Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Behavioral and Mental Health, Gansu Province, China.
- Department of Psychology, School of Psychology, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, 730070, China.
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5
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Chen Y, Leng X, Yao J, Chen T, Liao Y, Jiang Y, Feng C, Feng W. Attentional biases toward auditory weight-related information among females with weight dissatisfaction. Psychophysiology 2023; 60:e14318. [PMID: 37118969 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
Although there is substantial evidence of visual attentional biases in processing weight-related information among individuals with weight dissatisfaction, few studies have examined auditory attentional biases in these individuals. The identification of attentional biases may provide an impetus for interventions to reduce distress, negative body image, and pathological eating patterns among weight-dissatisfied individuals. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the attentional biases, as well as the neural consequences, toward auditory weight-related information among weight-dissatisfied young females. In this experiment, young female participants were assigned to an experimental group with high weight dissatisfaction (HWD) and a control group with low weight dissatisfaction (LWD) according to the levels of weight dissatisfaction. Using a spatial cueing paradigm, auditory fatness-related, thinness-related, and neutral household words were presented laterally as cue stimuli, followed by visual stimuli presented at either the cued or uncued location. The results revealed that auditory fatness-related words elicited significantly larger N2ac amplitudes than auditory thinness-related and neutral words in the HWD group. However, for the LWD group, thinness-related words elicited a significantly larger N2ac than fatness-related and neutral words. These results suggest an orienting attentional bias toward auditory fatness-related body words among females with HWD and an orienting attentional bias toward auditory thinness-related words among females with LWD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yixuan Chen
- Department of Psychology, School of Education, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
- College of Teacher Education, Lishui University, Lishui, China
| | - Xuechen Leng
- Department of Psychology, School of Education, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Jiayi Yao
- Department of Psychology, School of Education, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Tingji Chen
- Department of Psychology, School of Education, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Yu Liao
- Department of Psychology, School of Education, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Yiyao Jiang
- Research College of Arts and Sciences, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, USA
| | - Chengzhi Feng
- Department of Psychology, School of Education, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Wenfeng Feng
- Department of Psychology, School of Education, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
- Research Center for Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, China
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6
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House T, Wong HK, Samuel NW, Stephen ID, Brooks KR, Bould H, Attwood AS, Penton-Voak IS. The relationship between body dissatisfaction and attentional bias to thin bodies in Malaysian Chinese and White Australian women: a dot probe study. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:230674. [PMID: 37736527 PMCID: PMC10509588 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.230674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/23/2023]
Abstract
Studies suggest that an attentional bias to thin bodies is common among those with high levels of body dissatisfaction, which is a risk factor for, and symptom of, various eating disorders. However, these studies have predominantly been conducted in Western countries with body stimuli involving images of White people. In a preregistered study, we recruited 150 Malaysian Chinese women and 150 White Australian women for a study using standardized images of East Asian and White Australian bodies. To measure attentional bias to thin bodies, participants completed a dot probe task which presented images of women who self-identified their ethnicity as East Asian or as White Australian. Contrary to previous findings, we found no evidence for an association between body dissatisfaction and attentional bias to thin bodies. This lack of association was not affected by participant ethnicity (Malaysian Chinese versus White Australian) or ethnic congruency between participants and body stimuli (own-ethnicity versus other-ethnicity). However, the internal consistency of the dot probe task was poor. These results suggest that either the relationship between body dissatisfaction and attentional bias to thin bodies is not robust, or the dot probe task may not be a reliable measure of attentional bias to body size.
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Affiliation(s)
- T. House
- School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Australia
- School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, UK
| | - H. K. Wong
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Malaysia
| | - N. W. Samuel
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham Malaysia, Malaysia
| | - I. D. Stephen
- NTU Psychology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK
| | - K. R. Brooks
- School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Australia
- Perception in Action Research Centre (PARC), Macquarie University, Australia
- Lifespan Health and Wellbeing Research Centre, Macquarie University, Australia
| | - H. Bould
- Centre for Academic Mental Health, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, UK
- Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust, Gloucester, UK
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, UK
- National Institute for Health Research Bristol Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust and University of Bristol, UK
| | - A. S. Attwood
- School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, UK
- MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, UK
- National Institute for Health Research Bristol Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust and University of Bristol, UK
| | - I. S. Penton-Voak
- School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, UK
- National Institute for Health Research Bristol Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust and University of Bristol, UK
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7
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Mendoza-Medialdea MT, Meschberger-Annweiler FA, Ascione M, Rueda-Pina A, Rabarbari E, Porras-Garcia B, Ferrer-Garcia M, Gutiérrez-Maldonado J. Body Dissatisfaction and Body-Related Attentional Bias: Is There a Causal Relationship? J Clin Med 2023; 12:5659. [PMID: 37685726 PMCID: PMC10488727 DOI: 10.3390/jcm12175659] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Previous research has shown an association between body dissatisfaction and attentional biases toward the body, but the nature of this relationship is not clear. It is possible that dissatisfaction causes attentional bias or that dissatisfaction is a result of such bias. To clarify the causal relationship between these two variables, this study manipulated dissatisfaction in a sample of healthy women by exposing them to images of "ideal" bodies and observed whether this manipulation increased attentional biases toward different body parts. Fifty-seven women took part in a pre-post experimental design in which they observed an avatar representing themselves in a virtual mirror before and after being exposed to "thin ideal" photographs. Eye-tracking technology was employed to quantify the frequency and duration of fixations on weight-related and weight-unrelated body parts. The outcomes revealed a successful induction of body dissatisfaction, leading participants to display a heightened number of fixations and prolonged fixation durations on unrelated-weight body parts. These findings remained significant after controlling for the effects of trait body dissatisfaction and body mass index. The results imply that heightened body dissatisfaction fosters the aversion of attention from weight-related body parts, which may function as a protective mechanism for preserving self-esteem and promoting psychological well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Teresa Mendoza-Medialdea
- Department of Psychology, Universidad de Jaén, Paraje las Lagunillas s/n, 23071 Jaén, Spain;
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Barcelona, Passeig de Vall d’Hebron 175, 08035 Barcelona, Spain (E.R.)
| | - Franck-Alexandre Meschberger-Annweiler
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Barcelona, Passeig de Vall d’Hebron 175, 08035 Barcelona, Spain (E.R.)
| | - Mariarca Ascione
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Barcelona, Passeig de Vall d’Hebron 175, 08035 Barcelona, Spain (E.R.)
| | - Alejandra Rueda-Pina
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Barcelona, Passeig de Vall d’Hebron 175, 08035 Barcelona, Spain (E.R.)
| | - Elisa Rabarbari
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Barcelona, Passeig de Vall d’Hebron 175, 08035 Barcelona, Spain (E.R.)
| | - Bruno Porras-Garcia
- Brain, Cognition, and Behavior Research Group, Consorci Sanitari de Terrassa (CST), Ctr. Torrebonica, s/n, 08227 Terrassa, Spain
- Department of Basic Sciences, Universitat Internacional de Catalunya, Josep Trueta Street, s/n, 08195 Sant Cugat del Vallès, Spain
| | - Marta Ferrer-Garcia
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Barcelona, Passeig de Vall d’Hebron 175, 08035 Barcelona, Spain (E.R.)
| | - José Gutiérrez-Maldonado
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Barcelona, Passeig de Vall d’Hebron 175, 08035 Barcelona, Spain (E.R.)
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8
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Kirkpatrick CE, Lee S. Effects of Instagram Body Portrayals on Attention, State Body Dissatisfaction, and Appearance Management Behavioral Intention. HEALTH COMMUNICATION 2023; 38:1430-1441. [PMID: 34881654 DOI: 10.1080/10410236.2021.2010902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Research has suggested that Instagram is detrimental to one's body image and health, as a result of its image-driven nature and the social comparisons that are commonly made between users' bodies and the bodies they see portrayed. This study was designed to provide a better understanding of the effects of thin and fat body types portrayed in Instagram posts. This was done by examining how such body type portrayals influence attention to the posts, in addition to influencing outcomes such as body dissatisfaction and appearance management behavioral intentions. A total of 309 college students viewed 30 Instagram posts in an online experiment with a 2 (portrayed body type: thin vs. fat) X 15 (message repetition) within-subjects design. The findings indicate that thin-body portrayals increase audience self-reported attention to the posts and state body dissatisfaction, but female users who self-perceive themselves as fat report a similar level of attention to the posts regardless of portrayed body types. Additionally, Instagram use (defined as the number of photos users personally post) is found to moderate the effects of the body portrayals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ciera Elaine Kirkpatrick
- Advertising & Public Relations, College of Journalism and Mass Communications, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
| | - Sungkyoung Lee
- Strategic Communication, School of Journalism, University of Missouri
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9
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House T, Graham K, Ellis B, Bould H, Attwood AS, Stephen ID, Brooks KR, Penton-Voak IS. Is body dissatisfaction related to an attentional bias towards low weight bodies in non-clinical samples of women? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Body Image 2023; 44:103-119. [PMID: 36563472 DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2022.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 12/07/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Body dissatisfaction is defined as the negative subjective evaluation of one's body and is considered a risk factor for, and symptom of, eating disorders. Some studies show women with high body dissatisfaction display an attentional bias towards low weight bodies; however, this finding is not consistent, and results are yet to be systematically synthesised. We conducted a qualitative and quantitative synthesis of cross-sectional studies investigating the relationship between body dissatisfaction and attentional bias to low weight bodies in non-clinical samples of women. We searched PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, PsycINFO, ProQuest, and OpenGrey for studies up until September 2022. We identified 34 eligible studies involving a total of 2857 women. A meta-analysis of 26 studies (75 effects) found some evidence from gaze tracking studies for a positive association between body dissatisfaction and attentional bias to low weight bodies. We found no evidence for an association from studies measuring attention using the dot probe task, electroencephalogram (EEG) recording, or the modified spatial cueing task. The results together provide partial support for the positive association between body dissatisfaction and attentional bias to low weight bodies in women. These findings can be used to inform future attentional bias research.
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Affiliation(s)
- T House
- School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Australia; School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, United Kingdom.
| | - K Graham
- Cumbria Northumberland Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom
| | - B Ellis
- EPSRC CDT in Digital Health and Care, University of Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - H Bould
- Centre for Academic Mental Health, Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, United Kingdom; Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust, Centre for Academic Mental Health, University of Bristol, United Kingdom; MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - A S Attwood
- School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, United Kingdom; MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - I D Stephen
- NTU Psychology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - K R Brooks
- School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Australia
| | - I S Penton-Voak
- School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, United Kingdom; National Institute for Health Research Bristol Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust and University of Bristol, United Kingdom
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10
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Zhou A, Xie P, Ahmed MZ, Jobe MC, Ahmed O. Body mass index and attention bias of food cues in women: a mediation model of body weight dissatisfaction. PeerJ 2022. [DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13863] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Food attention bias could be used to indicate diet-related diseases in individuals with obesity. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and food attention bias, and the mediating role of body weight dissatisfaction (BWD) on this relationship in women. Seventy-five participants were recruited to complete a visual dot task with eye tracking. The results showed that BMI would positively predict response latency and duration bias on high-calorie foods; the relationship between BMI and response latency of high-calorie food was a complete mediation of BWD; the relationship between BMI and duration bias of high-calorie food was a complete mediation of BWD; and BWD positively predicts response latency and duration bias on high-calorie foods. These findings suggest a positive relationship between BMI and food attention bias, and the effect of a complete mediation of BWD in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aibao Zhou
- Department of Psychology, The Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Pei Xie
- Department of Psychology, The Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Md Zahir Ahmed
- Department of Psychology, The Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Mary C. Jobe
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, The George Washington University, Washington, D. C., United States of America
| | - Oli Ahmed
- Department of Psychology, University of Chittagong, Chattogram, Bangladesh
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11
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Look me in the eyes! A pre-registered eye-tracking study investigating visual attention and affective reactions to faces with a visible difference. Body Image 2022; 40:67-77. [PMID: 34864605 DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2021.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Revised: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
This research aims to determine how disfigurement alters visual attention paid to faces and to examine whether such a potential modified pattern of visual attention to faces with visible difference was associated, in turn, with perceiver's stigmatizing affective reactions. A pilot study (N = 38) and a pre-registered experimental eye-tracking study (N = 89) were conducted. First, the visual explorations of faces with and without disfigurement were compared. The association of these visual explorations with affective reactions were investigated next. Findings suggest that disfigurement impacts visual attention toward faces; attention is not merely attracted to the disfigured area but it is also diverted particularly from the eye area. Disfigurement also eases disgust-related, surprise-related, anxiety-related, and, to a lesser extent, hostility-related affective states. Exploratory interaction effects between attention to the eyes and to the disfigured part of the face revealed a hybrid effect on disgust-related affect and an increase in surprise-related affect when participants fixated more upon the disfigured area and fixated less upon the eyes. Thus, perceiver's attention is captured by disfigurement and also diverted from face internal features which seems to play a role in the affective reactions elicited.
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12
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House T, Stephen ID, Penton-Voak IS, Brooks KR. The effect of attention on body size adaptation and body dissatisfaction. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:211718. [PMID: 35223063 PMCID: PMC8864361 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.211718] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Attentional bias to low-fat bodies is thought to be associated with body dissatisfaction-a symptom and risk factor of eating disorders. However, the causal nature of this relationship is unclear. In three preregistered experiments, we trained 370 women to attend towards either high- or low-fat body stimuli using an attention training dot probe task. For each experiment, we analysed the effect of the attention training on (i) attention to subsequently presented high- versus low-fat body stimuli, (ii) visual adaptation to body size, and (iii) body dissatisfaction. The attention training had no effect on attention towards high- or low-fat bodies in an online setting (Experiment 1), but did increase attention to high-fat bodies in a laboratory setting (Experiment 2). Neither perceptions of a 'normal' body size nor levels of body dissatisfaction changed as a result of the attention training in either setting. The results in the online setting did not change when we reduced the stimulus onset-asynchrony of the dot probe task from 500 to 100 ms (Experiment 3). Our results provide no evidence that the dot probe training task used here has robust effects on attention to body size, body image disturbance or body dissatisfaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- T. House
- School of Psychological Science, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
- Department of Psychology, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - I. D. Stephen
- Department of Psychology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK
| | - I. S. Penton-Voak
- Department of Psychology, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- National Institute for Health Research Bristol Biomedical Research Centre, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust and University of Bristol, UK
| | - K. R. Brooks
- School of Psychological Science, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
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13
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La Marra M, Ilardi CR, Villano I, Polito R, Sibillo MR, Franchetti M, Caggiano A, Strangio F, Messina G, Monda V, Di Maio G, Messina A. Higher general executive functions predicts lower body mass index by mitigating avoidance behaviors. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2022; 13:1048363. [PMID: 36440204 PMCID: PMC9681800 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2022.1048363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The present study examines the relationship between obesity, executive functions, and body image in a nonclinical population from southern Italy. METHODS General executive functioning (Frontal Assessment Battery-15), and body image disturbances (Body Uneasiness Test) were assessed in a sample including 255 participants (138 females, M age = 43.51 years, SD = 17.94, range = 18-86 years; M body mass index (BMI) = 26.21, SD = 4.32, range = 18.03-38.79). FINDINGS Multiple Linear Regression Analysis indicated that age, years of education, FAB15 score, body image concerns, and avoidance predicted the variance of BMI. A subsequent mediation analysis highlighted that the indirect effect of FAB15 on BMI through avoidance was statistically significant. INTERPRETATION Our results suggest that more performing executive functioning predicts a decrease in BMI that is partially due to the mitigation of avoidance behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco La Marra
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
| | - Ciro Rosario Ilardi
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
- Department of Psychology, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Caserta, Italy
| | - Ines Villano
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
- *Correspondence: Ines Villano,
| | - Rita Polito
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy
| | - Maria Raffella Sibillo
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
| | - Marina Franchetti
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
| | - Angela Caggiano
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
| | - Francesca Strangio
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
| | - Giovanni Messina
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Monda
- Department of Movement Sciences and Wellbeing, University of Naples “Parthenope”, Naples, Italy
| | - Girolamo Di Maio
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
| | - Antonietta Messina
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli”, Naples, Italy
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14
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Berrisford-Thompson J, Sayers S, Bell J, Dondzilo L, Kennedy BL. Blinded by bodies: Elevated eating disorder symptomatology is associated with increased attentional priority for thin bodies. Body Image 2021; 39:237-247. [PMID: 34653925 DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2021.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 09/18/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Selective processing of female thin-ideal body imagery is associated with greater body dissatisfaction, and eating disorder-specific rumination has been shown to mediate this relationship. Across two studies, we employed a modified rapid serial visual presentation task (similar to that used within the emotion-induced blindness literature), such that participants searched for a task-relevant target that was sometimes preceded by a thin body, non-thin body, or neutral task-irrelevant distractor. Our first experiment (N = 372) revealed a "body-induced blindness" in an unselected female sample, such that bodies in general distracted attention more than neutral images, and non-thin bodies distracted more than thin-ideal bodies. In our second experiment, female participants were selected based on eating disorder symptomatology (N = 114). Females that exhibited elevated eating disorder symptoms were distracted more by thin bodies compared to those low in symptomatology, greater distraction from thin bodies was associated with greater body dissatisfaction, and this relationship was mediated by eating disorder-specific rumination. Altogether, our findings illustrate the persistent nature of attentional distortions that occur early in cognitive processing and across time for those high in eating disorder symptomatology.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sarah Sayers
- School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Jason Bell
- School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Laura Dondzilo
- Elizabeth Rutherford Memorial Centre for the Advancement of Research on Emotion, School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.
| | - Briana L Kennedy
- School of Psychological Science, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
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15
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Body dissatisfaction, rumination and attentional disengagement toward computer-generated bodies. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-021-02180-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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16
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Body Image and Voluntary Gaze Behaviors towards Physique-Salient Images. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18052549. [PMID: 33806533 PMCID: PMC7967371 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18052549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2021] [Revised: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to explore body image correlates of voluntary consumption of physique-salient media. A secondary aim was to assess changes in affect following media consumption. Young adult men (n = 47; mean age = 20.2 years) and women (n = 87; mean age = 19.5 years) were discretely exposed to images of same-sex models with idealized- and average-physiques while completing an irrelevant computer task. Voluntary gaze at the images was covertly recorded via hidden cameras. Participants also completed measures of affect before and after the computer task. Measures of body-related envy, body appreciation, and self-perceptions of attractiveness, thinness, and physical strength were completed. Men and women did not differ in how often nor for how long they looked at the images overall, but body image variables were differentially associated with their voluntary gaze behaviors. For men, higher body-related envy and lower body appreciation were correlated with more looks at the average-physique model. Although women reported higher body-related envy than men, envy and body appreciation were not significant correlates of gaze behaviors for women. Both men and women experienced a general affective decrease over time, but only for men was the change in negative affect associated with their time spent looking at the ideal-physique image. Overall, these findings suggest that body-related envy and body appreciation influence how men choose to consume physique-salient media, and that media consumption may have negative consequences for post-exposure affect. Body image factors appear to be more strongly associated with behavior in men, perhaps because men are generally less often exposed to physique-salient media and, in particular, to average-physique images.
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17
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Jiang MY, Vartanian LR. A review of existing measures of attentional biases in body image and eating disorders research. AUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/ajpy.12161] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Michelle Y.w. Jiang
- School of Psychology, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia,
| | - Lenny R. Vartanian
- School of Psychology, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia,
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18
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Cai W, Wang L, Chen T, Zhao S, Feng C, Feng W. Auditory attentional biases in young males with physical stature dissatisfaction. Psychophysiology 2020; 57:e13635. [PMID: 32659054 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Revised: 04/25/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The attentional biases toward body-related information for individuals with weight concerns and eating disorders have been well documented. However, our knowledge of the attentional biases toward body-related information for subjects with physical stature concerns is only at the beginning. And the research on the auditory attentional biases for individuals with physical stature concerns is rare. The identification of attentional biases may provide an impetus for interventions to reduce distress among height dissatisfied individuals. Therefore, the present study investigated the neural mechanisms of attentional bias toward auditory physical stature-related words among height dissatisfied young males by using event-related potential recordings. Forty-four young male participants screened by Negative Physical Self Scale-Stature Concerns subscale (NPS-S) were assigned into an experimental group with high levels of height dissatisfaction (HHD) and a control group with low levels of height dissatisfaction (LHD). Task irrelevant auditory tall-related words, short-related words and neutral words were presented unilaterally to the participants as the cue in a cue-target paradigm. Participants were required to respond to the visual target preceded by the task-irrelevant auditory cue. The results found that significantly larger N2ac was elicited by tall-related words than short-related words and neutral words only for the HHD group, but not for the LHD group. LPCpc amplitudes did not differ significantly by the functions of word types and experimental groups. These results suggest an attentional orienting bias toward auditory tall-related words for young males with high levels of height dissatisfaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenguan Cai
- Department of Psychology, School of Education, SooChow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Lili Wang
- School of Educational Science, Huaiyin Normal University, Huai'an, China
| | - Tingji Chen
- Department of Psychology, School of Education, SooChow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Song Zhao
- Department of Psychology, School of Education, SooChow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Chengzhi Feng
- Department of Psychology, School of Education, SooChow University, Suzhou, China
| | - Wenfeng Feng
- Department of Psychology, School of Education, SooChow University, Suzhou, China
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19
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Couture Bue AC, Harrison K. Visual and cognitive processing of thin-ideal Instagram images containing idealized or disclaimer comments. Body Image 2020; 33:152-163. [PMID: 32193169 DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2020.02.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2019] [Revised: 02/25/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Recent studies have demonstrated that exposure to thin-ideal social media content is associated with decreased body satisfaction, and disclaimer comments have been a proposed intervention. This experiment uses eye-tracking methods to explore the effect of disclaimer comments on participants' processing of thin-ideal Instagram images. Women ages 18-35 (N = 181) were randomly assigned to view thin-ideal Instagram images paired with one of two caption types: traditional comments that idealized the images, or disclaimer comments that critiqued the images as unrealistic. Participants' eye movements were tracked during viewing. Following exposure, participants reported their anxiety about specific body regions, as well as their perceptions of social pressure for thinness. Post-test body anxiety and perceived pressure for thinness did not differ based on experimental condition. Results indicated some differences in message processing, with similar visual attention to the model across conditions but greater attention to the comment in the disclaimer condition. Attention to the model's thighs was associated with increased body anxiety about the thighs in both conditions, whereas attention to the model's waist was associated with increased body anxiety about the waist only in the Idealized Comment condition. This indicates that the disclaimer comments were somewhat, but not entirely, effective.
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20
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Examination of the Relationship Between Attentional Biases and Body Dissatisfaction: An Eye-Tracking Study. COGNITIVE THERAPY AND RESEARCH 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10608-020-10084-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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21
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Fuller-Tyszkiewicz M, Vuong H, Linardon J, Krug I, Broadbent J, Rodgers RF. Body image in and out of the lab: Correspondence between lab-based attentional bias data and body shape dissatisfaction experiences in daily life. Body Image 2020; 32:62-69. [PMID: 31778889 DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2019.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2019] [Revised: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 11/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Accumulating lab-based studies have identified attentional biases in processing of negative appearance-related information among individuals with elevated trait body shape and weight dissatisfaction (BD). How these biases translate into experiences of BD in daily life remains unclear and, hence, was the focus of the present study. Thirty-eight women aged between 18-40 years completed a baseline survey and modified dot-probe task with both fat and thin appearance-related stimuli in a laboratory setting. Participants also downloaded a smartphone app that prompted them 10 times per day for 7 days to rate current body dissatisfaction. Results revealed that heightened BD in daily life tended to be transitory, and followed by a substantially lower rating of BD by the next survey (∼1-2 h later). For individuals with elevated trait BD and facilitated attention towards thin body images, this reduction in state BD was more gradual. Surprisingly, delayed disengagement towards thin body images was associated with greater reduction in state BD. Consistent with the hypothesis, moderating effects were not observed when initial state BD level was low. Susceptibility for immediate, short-term attentional biases towards appearance-related information may be a vulnerability factor for the prolonged persistence of negative body image experiences in daily life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Fuller-Tyszkiewicz
- School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, 3220, Australia; Center for Social and Early Emotional Development, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, 3125, Australia.
| | - Hao Vuong
- School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, 3220, Australia
| | - Jake Linardon
- School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, 3220, Australia
| | - Isabel Krug
- School of Psychological Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia
| | - Jaclyn Broadbent
- School of Psychology, Deakin University, Geelong, Victoria, 3220, Australia
| | - Rachel F Rodgers
- APPEAR, Department of Applied Psychology, Northeastern University, Boston, USA; Department of Psychiatric Emergency & Acute Care, Lapeyronie Hospital, Montpellier, France
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22
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Cass J, Giltrap G, Talbot D. Female Body Dissatisfaction and Attentional Bias to Body Images Evaluated Using Visual Search. Front Psychol 2020; 10:2821. [PMID: 32038346 PMCID: PMC6987376 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02821] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Accepted: 11/29/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
One factor, believed to predict body dissatisfaction is an individual’s propensity to attend to certain classes of human body image stimuli relative to other classes. These attentional biases have been evaluated using a range of paradigms, including dot-probe, eye-tracking and free view visual search, which have yielded a range of – often contradictory – findings. This study is the first to employ a classic compound visual search task to investigate the relationship between body dissatisfaction and attentional biases to images of underweight and with-overweight female bodies. Seventy-one undergraduate females, varying their degree of body dissatisfaction and Body Mass Index (BMI), searched for a horizontal or vertical target line among tilted lines. A separate female body image was presented within close proximity to each line. On average, faster search times were obtained when the target line was paired with a uniquely underweight or with-overweight body relative to neutral (average weight only) trials indicating that body weight-related images can effectively guide search. This congruent search effect was stronger for individuals with high eating restraint (a behavioral manifestation of body image disturbance) when search involved a uniquely underweight body. By contrast, individuals with high BMIs searched for lines more rapidly when paired with with-overweight rather than underweight bodies, than did individuals with lower BMIs. For incongruent trials – in which a unique body was paired with a distractor rather than the target – search times were indistinguishable from neutral trials, indicating that the deviant bodies neither compulsorily “captured” attention nor reduced participants’ ability to disengage their attention from either underweight or with-overweight bodies. These results imply the existence of attentional strategies which reflect one’s current body and goal-directed eating behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Cass
- School of Psychology, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,School of Social Sciences and Psychology, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Georgina Giltrap
- School of Social Sciences and Psychology, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Daniel Talbot
- School of Social Sciences and Psychology, Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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23
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So MY, Wang X, Gao X. Body Dissatisfaction Enhances Awareness and Facilitates the Consolidation of Body-Related Words During Rapid Serial Visual Presentation. Front Psychol 2019; 10:2614. [PMID: 31849747 PMCID: PMC6895214 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2019] [Accepted: 11/05/2019] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Attentional biases have received considerable focus in research on cognitive biases and body dissatisfaction (BD). However, most work has focused on spatial allocation of attention. The current two experiments employed a rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP) task to investigate attention bias to body-related words in the temporal domain among young females with high and low BD. During this task, there were two targets presented in the same stimulus stream. The first target was defined as target one (T1) and the second was defined as target 2 (T2). Participants were asked to identify T2 while ignoring T1 in single task mode or identify both targets in the dual task mode. In the current study, Experiment 1 assessed the stimulus-driven attention of body-related stimuli. Participants were required to identify a target of neutral word (T2) as quickly and accurately as possible while ignoring the preceding target (T1) of neutral, fat-, or thin-related words. As expected, we observed spontaneous attentional blink (AB) effects elicited by both fat- and thin-related T1s among participants with high BD, suggesting enhanced awareness of body-related stimuli even when this information does not have to be identified. Such effects did not emerge among participants without BD. Experimental 2 investigated the goal-directed attention of body-related stimuli, during which participants needed to identify both the T1 and neutral T2. Participants with BD showed reduced AB effects after both fat- and thin-related T1, suggesting facilitated consolidation of body-related information in goal-directed attention among participants with BD. These findings have important clinical implications that it provided insight for creating more accurate attention bias modification (ABM) task aiming at reducing and preventing BD among young females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Man Yi So
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xinyu Wang
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Xiao Gao
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality, Ministry of Education, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
- Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
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24
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Ly M, Misener K, Libben M. Validation of the translated Negative Physical Self Scale in a female North American sample: Preliminary examination. Eat Behav 2019; 34:101314. [PMID: 31351359 DOI: 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2019.101314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2018] [Revised: 07/14/2019] [Accepted: 07/18/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
In an increasingly multicultural society, there is a need for cross-cultural research on measures of body dissatisfaction, a construct often influenced by sociocultural differences. The current study assessed the psychometric properties of an English translation of the Negative Physical Self Scale (NPSS; Chen, Jackson, & Huang, 2006). A sample of 646 young adult North American women completed an online survey including the NPSS and two widely used measures of body image and eating concerns. Exploratory factor analysis revealed a four-factor structure of the NPSS, three of which (Thinness, Shortness, and Facial Appearance) mirrored those found in Chinese samples. The remaining factor, labeled the Body Concern subscale, was an amalgamation of two factors found in Chinese samples, Fatness and General Appearance, and one item from the Facial Appearance subscale. Extracted factors had high internal consistencies (Cronbach's alpha values above 0.89). The NPSS, particularly the Body Concern Subscale, demonstrated strong convergent validity with other measures of body dissatisfaction and disordered eating. The current study provided evidence for the use of a four-factor model of the NPSS among a North American population.
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Affiliation(s)
- May Ly
- PLAN Laboratory, Department of Psychology, ASC 284, 3187 University Drive, University of British Columbia - Okanagan, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada.
| | - Kaylee Misener
- PLAN Laboratory, Department of Psychology, ASC 284, 3187 University Drive, University of British Columbia - Okanagan, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
| | - Maya Libben
- PLAN Laboratory, Department of Psychology, ASC 284, 3187 University Drive, University of British Columbia - Okanagan, Kelowna, BC V1V 1V7, Canada
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25
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Krohmer K, Derntl B, Svaldi J. Hormones Matter? Association of the Menstrual Cycle With Selective Attention for Liked and Disliked Body Parts. Front Psychol 2019; 10:851. [PMID: 31139104 PMCID: PMC6519316 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2018] [Accepted: 04/01/2019] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Body dissatisfaction is wide spread among women and is considered a risk factor for eating pathology. Therefore, it is clinically relevant to investigate potential influencing factors. While previous research has mainly revealed inconsistent findings for attentional processes in body perception, the present study aimed to investigate the association of menstrual cycle phase with body satisfaction and its perception. In a within subject design, 16 women with a natural menstrual cycle (NC) and 19 women who used hormonal contraception (HC) rated their bodily attractiveness and underwent a 3-minute mirror exposure while their eye movements were recorded at two different times during their cycle (NC: ovulation vs. late luteal phase; HC: mid vs. end of cycle). At ovulation, NC women felt more attractive and gazed less at unattractive body parts in contrast to the late luteal phase, where they felt less attractive and gazed more at unattractive body parts. There was no difference in the gaze pattern for the attractive body parts at ovulation and late luteal phase. Notably, HC women showed a balanced gazed pattern at attractive and unattractive body at both times. The menstrual cycle phase is associated with women's self-rated attractiveness and selective attention when looking at their own body. It should therefore be taken into account in clinical research addressing body image.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kerstin Krohmer
- Department of Psychology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Birgit Derntl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- LEAD Graduate School and Research Network, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jennifer Svaldi
- Department of Psychology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- LEAD Graduate School and Research Network, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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26
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Wang X, Liu Y, She Y, Gao X. Neural correlates of appearance-based social comparison: The modulating effects of body dissatisfaction and person perspective. Biol Psychol 2019; 144:74-84. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2019.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2018] [Revised: 03/11/2019] [Accepted: 03/14/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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27
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Kou H, Mi H, Zhang L, Bi T, Wang T, Chen H. Selective attentional biases towards a self-related facial feature among orthognathic patients. Psych J 2019; 8:411-422. [PMID: 30977305 DOI: 10.1002/pchj.287] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2018] [Revised: 12/26/2018] [Accepted: 03/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The present study aimed to determine what kind of face and which area of the face (eyes or mouth) rapidly capture attention among patients with dentomaxillofacial deformities (DDs). In the present experiments, faces were categorized as highly or lowly attractive (HA and LA, respectively) and as a face with dentomaxillofacial deformities (DD face). A dot-probe task and a change-detection task were utilized to examine the attentional bias to the faces and facial features, respectively. In Study 1, we found that DD patients showed an attentional bias to DD male faces compared with HA male faces, while controls showed an opposite attentional pattern. In Study 2, we found that patients responded faster to the changes in the mouths of DD male faces than those of HA and LA faces. Moreover, patients paid less attention to the mouths of HA faces than to the region of the eyes, and they paid less attention than did the controls. These results indicated that DD patients selectively directed their attention to DD male faces and the mouths of these faces. These findings were not evident in female faces. Furthermore, patients showed avoidance of the mouths of HA faces regardless of the gender of the faces.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui Kou
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (Ministry of Education), Southwest University, Chongqing, China.,School of Management, Zunyi Medical University, Guizhou, China
| | - Huan Mi
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, College of Stomatology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Lulu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (Ministry of Education), Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Taiyong Bi
- School of Management, Zunyi Medical University, Guizhou, China
| | - Tao Wang
- Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, College of Stomatology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Hong Chen
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (Ministry of Education), Southwest University, Chongqing, China
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28
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Voges MM, Giabbiconi CM, Gruber T, Andersen SK, Hartmann AS, Vocks S. Sustained hypervigilance for one's own body in women with weight and shape concerns: Competition effects in early visual processing investigated by steady-state visual evoked potentials (SSVEP). Biol Psychol 2019; 143:74-84. [PMID: 30802480 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2019.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2018] [Revised: 08/09/2018] [Accepted: 02/18/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
This study aimed to analyze the covert attentional time course in early body processing areas in women with high body concerns. Therefore, we assessed the effect of pictures of one's own body and other bodies as distractions from a demanding dot detection task in 24 women with low and 20 women with high body concerns. Participants were instructed to attend to flickering dots eliciting steady-state visual evoked potentials (SSVEP) measured by EEG. Both groups showed a sustained SSVEP amplitude reduction, which was more pronounced for average-weight or thin bodies than for overweight bodies. For women with high body concerns, SSVEP amplitudes decreased more in the case of pictures of their own body. The results indicate covert vigilance and maintenance patterns for body stimuli, especially for bodies representing the thin ideal. Moreover, women with high body concerns attend more to information about their own body, which might maintain body dissatisfaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mona M Voges
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Osnabrück University, Knollstraße 15, 49069 Osnabrück, Germany.
| | - Claire-Marie Giabbiconi
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Osnabrück University, Knollstraße 15, 49069 Osnabrück, Germany.
| | - Thomas Gruber
- Department of Experimental Psychology I, Osnabrück University, Seminarstraße 20, 49074 Osnabrück, Germany.
| | - Søren K Andersen
- School of Psychology, University of Aberdeen, William Guild Building, Aberdeen, AB24 3FX, United Kingdom.
| | - Andrea S Hartmann
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Osnabrück University, Knollstraße 15, 49069 Osnabrück, Germany.
| | - Silja Vocks
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Osnabrück University, Knollstraße 15, 49069 Osnabrück, Germany.
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Lyu Z, Zheng P, Wang Z. Time Course of Attentional Biases Toward Body Shapes in Women Who Are Overweight or Obese. COGNITIVE THERAPY AND RESEARCH 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10608-018-9978-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Ralph-Nearman C, Filik R. Eating disorder symptomatology and body mass index are associated with readers' expectations about character behavior: Evidence from eye-tracking during reading. Int J Eat Disord 2018; 51:1070-1079. [PMID: 30312495 DOI: 10.1002/eat.22961] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2018] [Revised: 08/27/2018] [Accepted: 09/04/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Many theories have been put forward suggesting key factors underlying the development and maintenance of eating disorders, such as: unhealthy food-related cognitive biases, negative body attitude, and perfectionism; however, underlying cognitive processes associated with eating disorder symptomatology remain unclear. We used eye-tracking during reading as a novel implicit measure of how these factors may relate to eating disorder symptomatology. METHOD In two experiments, we monitored women's eye movements while they read texts in which the characters' emotional responses to food-, body image-, and perfectionism-related scenarios were described. Participants' eating disorder symptomatology was then assessed. RESULTS Both studies suggest that moment-to-moment processing of characters' emotional responses to perfectionism-, and to a lesser extent, body image-related information was associated with participants' eating disorder symptomatology, thus supporting theories in which these factors are key to developing and maintaining eating disorders. Interestingly, the moment-to-moment processing of characters' emotional responses to food-related scenarios was not related to eating disorder symptomatology. DISCUSSION These findings provide novel insights into cognitive processes underlying eating disorder symptomatology, as well as demonstrating the utility of more natural implicit measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Ralph-Nearman
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom.,Laureate Institute for Brain Research
| | - Ruth Filik
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
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Uusberg H, Peet K, Uusberg A, Akkermann K. Attention biases in preoccupation with body image: An ERP study of the role of social comparison and automaticity when processing body size. Biol Psychol 2018; 135:136-148. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2018.03.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2017] [Revised: 02/15/2018] [Accepted: 03/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Allen JL, Mason TB, Stout DM, Rokke PD. Emotion Specific Effects on Attentional Bias Among Women with Shape and Weight Concerns. COGNITIVE THERAPY AND RESEARCH 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10608-018-9916-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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Tobin LN, Sears CR, Zumbusch AS, von Ranson KM. Attention to fat- and thin-related words in body-satisfied and body-dissatisfied women before and after thin model priming. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0192914. [PMID: 29447251 PMCID: PMC5813977 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0192914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2017] [Accepted: 01/17/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the cognitive processes underlying body dissatisfaction provides important information on the development and perpetuation of eating pathology. Previous research suggests that body-dissatisfied women process weight-related information differently than body-satisfied women, but the precise nature of these processing differences is not yet understood. In this study, eye-gaze tracking was used to measure attention to weight-related words in body-dissatisfied (n = 40) and body-satisfied (n = 38) women, before and after exposure to images of thin fashion models. Participants viewed 8-second displays containing fat-related, thin-related, and neutral words while their eye fixations were tracked and recorded. Based on previous research and theory, we predicted that body-dissatisfied women would attend to fat-related words more than body-satisfied women and would attend to thin-related words less. It was also predicted that exposure to thin model images would increase self-rated body dissatisfaction and heighten group differences in attention. The results indicated that body-dissatisfied women attended to both fat- and thin-related words more than body-satisfied women and that exposure to thin models did not increase this effect. Implications for cognitive models of eating disorders are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah N. Tobin
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- * E-mail:
| | | | - Alicia S. Zumbusch
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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Bauer A, Schneider S, Waldorf M, Cordes M, Huber TJ, Braks K, Vocks S. Visual processing of one's own body over the course of time: Evidence for the vigilance-avoidance theory in adolescents with anorexia nervosa? Int J Eat Disord 2017; 50:1205-1213. [PMID: 28851058 DOI: 10.1002/eat.22771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2017] [Revised: 07/12/2017] [Accepted: 08/09/2017] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The vigilance-avoidance theory postulates a specific threat-related pattern of attention deployment, characterized by initial orientation towards fear-evoking stimuli and subsequent directing of attention away from them. The current eye-tracking study was the first to examine the applicability of the theory for patients with eating disorders, who perceive their own body as a highly aversive, threat-evoking stimulus. METHOD N = 56 female adolescents with anorexia nervosa (AN) and n = 43 healthy controls (HC) aged 13-18 viewed own-body pictures while their eye movements were recorded. Relative fixation times on self-defined unattractive body areas were compared between the groups by sequencing the overall presentation time of 6,000 ms into six intervals à 1,000 ms. RESULTS Participants with AN showed a significantly stronger attentional bias for unattractive body areas than HC within the time intervals 1, 2, and 3. However, for intervals 4, 5, and 6, no significant group differences occurred. Within the AN group, the bias for unattractive body areas was significantly stronger in interval 1 compared to intervals 4, 5, and 6; whereas within the HC group, a stable pattern of attention deployment emerged. In AN, early attention deployment was positively correlated with the negative affect reported after photo presentation. DISCUSSION The early vigilance in AN and the subsequent decrease in attention to unattractive body parts is in line with our assumptions. However, no indication of attentional avoidance was found. The current findings partially support the vigilance-avoidance theory for the exposure to one's own body in adolescents with AN.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anika Bauer
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Osnabrück University, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Silvia Schneider
- Department of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Manuel Waldorf
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Osnabrück University, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Martin Cordes
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Osnabrück University, Osnabrück, Germany
| | | | | | - Silja Vocks
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Osnabrück University, Osnabrück, Germany
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Body Dissatisfaction in Early Adolescence: The Coactive Roles of Cognitive and Sociocultural Factors. J Youth Adolesc 2016; 46:1246-1261. [DOI: 10.1007/s10964-016-0559-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2016] [Accepted: 08/09/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Rodgers RF, DuBois RH. Cognitive biases to appearance-related stimuli in body dissatisfaction: A systematic review. Clin Psychol Rev 2016; 46:1-11. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cpr.2016.04.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 86] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2015] [Revised: 02/22/2016] [Accepted: 04/11/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Tuschen-Caffier B, Bender C, Caffier D, Klenner K, Braks K, Svaldi J. Selective Visual Attention during Mirror Exposure in Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0145886. [PMID: 26714279 PMCID: PMC4700997 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0145886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2015] [Accepted: 12/09/2015] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective Cognitive theories suggest that body dissatisfaction results from the activation of maladaptive appearance schemata, which guide mental processes such as selective attention to shape and weight-related information. In line with this, the present study hypothesized that patients with anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN) are characterized by increased visual attention for the most dissatisfying/ugly body part compared to their most satisfying/beautiful body part, while a more balanced viewing pattern was expected for controls without eating disorders (CG). Method Eye movements were recorded in a group of patients with AN (n = 16), BN (n = 16) and a CG (n = 16) in an ecologically valid setting, i.e., during a 3-min mirror exposure. Results Evidence was found that patients with AN and BN display longer and more frequent gazes towards the most dissatisfying relative to the most satisfying and towards their most ugly compared to their most beautiful body parts, whereas the CG showed a more balanced gaze pattern. Discussion The results converge with theoretical models that emphasize the role of information processing in the maintenance of body dissatisfaction. Given the etiological importance of body dissatisfaction in the development of eating disorders, future studies should focus on the modification of the reported patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Caroline Bender
- Department of Psychology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Detlef Caffier
- Department of Psychology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
| | | | | | - Jennifer Svaldi
- Department of Psychology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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Cordes M, Bauer A, Waldorf M, Vocks S. Körperbezogene Aufmerksamkeitsverzerrungen bei Frauen und Männern. PSYCHOTHERAPEUT 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s00278-015-0058-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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