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Erwin SR, Liu PJ, Datta N, Nicholas J, Rivera-Cancel A, Leary M, Chartrand TL, Zucker NL. Experiences of mimicry in eating disorders. J Eat Disord 2022; 10:103. [PMID: 35841035 PMCID: PMC9288029 DOI: 10.1186/s40337-022-00607-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND People unknowingly mimic the behaviors of others, a process that results in feelings of affiliation. However, some individuals with eating disorders describe feeling "triggered" when mimicked. This study explores the effects of implicit non-verbal mimicry on individuals with a history of an eating disorder (ED-His) compared to healthy controls (HCs). METHOD Women (N = 118, nED-His = 31; Mage = 21 years) participated in a laboratory task with a confederate trained to either discreetly mimic (Mimicry condition) or not mimic (No-Mimicry condition) the mannerisms of the participant. Participants rated the likability of the confederate and the smoothness of the interaction. RESULTS Participants in the No-Mimicry condition rated the confederate as significantly more likable than in the Mimicry condition, and ED-His rated the confederate as more likable than HCs. ED-His in the Mimicry condition rated the interaction as less smooth than HCs, whereas this pattern was not found in the No-Mimicry condition. Among ED-His, longer disorder duration (≥ 3.87 years) was associated with less liking of a confederate who mimicked and more liking of a confederate who did not mimic. CONCLUSIONS We discuss the implications of these findings for interpersonal therapeutic processes and group treatment settings for eating disorders. Our study on subtle, nonverbal mimicry revealed differences in social behavior for women with a history of an eating disorder compared to healthy women. For participants with an eating disorder history, a longer duration of illness was associated with a worse pattern of affiliation, reflected in lower liking of a mimicker. Further research on how diverging processes of affiliation may function to perpetuate the chronicity of eating disorders and implications for treatment is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Savannah R Erwin
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, 417 Chapel Drive, Durham, NC, 27708, USA.
| | - Peggy J Liu
- Fuqua School of Business, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.,Katz Graduate School of Business, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Nandini Datta
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, 417 Chapel Drive, Durham, NC, 27708, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Julia Nicholas
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA.,Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA
| | - Alannah Rivera-Cancel
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, 417 Chapel Drive, Durham, NC, 27708, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Mark Leary
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, 417 Chapel Drive, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | | | - Nancy L Zucker
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, 417 Chapel Drive, Durham, NC, 27708, USA.,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC, USA
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Moessner M, Feldhege J, Wolf M, Bauer S. Analyzing big data in social media: Text and network analyses of an eating disorder forum. Int J Eat Disord 2018; 51:656-667. [PMID: 29746710 DOI: 10.1002/eat.22878] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2018] [Revised: 04/03/2018] [Accepted: 04/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Social media plays an important role in everyday life of young people. Numerous studies claim negative effects of social media and media in general on eating disorder risk factors. Despite the availability of big data, only few studies have exploited the possibilities so far in the field of eating disorders. METHOD Methods for data extraction, computerized content analysis, and network analysis will be introduced. Strategies and methods will be exemplified for an ad-hoc dataset of 4,247 posts and 34,118 comments by 3,029 users of the proed forum on Reddit. RESULTS Text analysis with latent Dirichlet allocation identified nine topics related to social support and eating disorder specific content. Social network analysis describes the overall communication patterns, and could identify community structures and most influential users. A linear network autocorrelation model was applied to estimate associations in language among network neighbors. The supplement contains R code for data extraction and analyses. DISCUSSION This paper provides an introduction to investigating social media data, and will hopefully stimulate big data social media research in eating disorders. When applied in real-time, the methods presented in this manuscript could contribute to improving the safety of ED-related online communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Markus Moessner
- Center for Psychotherapy Research, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Johannes Feldhege
- Center for Psychotherapy Research, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Markus Wolf
- Department of Psychology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Stephanie Bauer
- Center for Psychotherapy Research, University Hospital Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
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Sowles SJ, McLeary M, Optican A, Cahn E, Krauss MJ, Fitzsimmons-Craft EE, Wilfley DE, Cavazos-Rehg PA. A content analysis of an online pro-eating disorder community on Reddit. Body Image 2018; 24:137-144. [PMID: 29414146 PMCID: PMC5869127 DOI: 10.1016/j.bodyim.2018.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2017] [Revised: 01/02/2018] [Accepted: 01/02/2018] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Pro-eating disorder communities provide a refuge for individuals with eating disorders (EDs) who are ambivalent about seeking treatment. We investigated a pro-ED community on Reddit, an anonymous social networking platform with topical forums, to identify expression of behaviors aligned with ED symptoms and support for these behaviors. A content analysis on four weeks of topic-specific discussion threads (N=125 comments, 115 replies to comments) was conducted to identify behaviors consistent with ED psychopathology and support for these behaviors (informational, tangible assistance, esteem/emotional support). Results indicated that the content aligned with expressions of clinically relevant ED psychopathology, with eating concerns (49/125) and shape concerns (47/125) being most prevalent. The majority (92/115) of replies provided esteem/emotional support to the comment author. Online interventions and/or recovery programs are needed to counteract reinforcing dialogue that occurs on social media sites, like Reddit, and promote ED recovery through supportive messages on these platforms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaina J. Sowles
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri, 63110, USA
| | - Monique McLeary
- The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 1400 Spring Garden St, Greensboro, NC 27412, USA
| | - Allison Optican
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri, 63110, USA
| | - Elizabeth Cahn
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri, 63110, USA
| | - Melissa J. Krauss
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri, 63110, USA
| | - Ellen E. Fitzsimmons-Craft
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri, 63110, USA
| | - Denise E. Wilfley
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri, 63110, USA
| | - Patricia A. Cavazos-Rehg
- Department of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri, 63110, USA
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