The influence of identity on the prevalence and persistence of disordered eating and weight control behaviors in Mexican American college women

Disordered eating behaviors are prevalent in Mexican-American college-enrolled women and contribute to compromised physical and psychological health. Although disordered eating behaviors are multi-determined, few studies have examined individual difference factors that contribute to disordered eating behaviors in Mexican women beyond acculturation. Evidence suggests that individual differences in the constellation of identities may be an important factor influencing the disordered eating behaviors. We hypothesized that individual differences in the collection of identities (self-schemas) increases susceptibility to defining oneself as fat (fat self-schema) and contribute to disordered eating behaviors over time in Mexican American college women. A 12-month longitudinal design was used to measure the level of disordered eating behaviors at 5 points over 12 months in 477 Mexican American women. Identity properties (i.e., positive self-schemas, negative self-schemas, fat self-schema) were measured at baseline. Controlling for relevant covariates, latent growth curve models showed that Mexican American women with few positive and many negative self-schemas were more likely to define themselves as fat, which in turn, predicted purging and fasting/restricting behaviors across the year. However, identity properties were not predictive of binge eating and excessive exercise episodes. Interventions focused on development of positive self-schemas that reflect areas of interest and competence and the revision of negative self-schemas may protect against purging and fasting/restricting in Mexican American college-enrolled women.

Disowning the Self: The Cultural Value of Modesty can Attenuate Self-Positivity

Western participants endorse a higher number of positive traits as self-descriptive, but endorse a lower number of negative traits as self-descriptive. They also respond quicker to categorize positive traits as self-descriptive, but respond slower to categorize negative traits as self-descriptive. Is this self-positivity bias qualified by the cultural value of modesty? We induced modesty (vs. punctuality) and assessed self-descriptiveness judgments and response times among Chinese participants. We replicated the self-positivity bias in regards to both self-descriptiveness judgments and response times. In the case of self-descriptiveness judgments, however, the bias was partially qualified by modesty. Relative to control participants, those in the modesty condition endorsed fewer positive traits as self-descriptive and manifested a tendency toward endorsing more negative traits as self-descriptive. In the case of response times, the self-positivity bias was unqualified by modesty. Within both conditions, participants were quicker to categorize positive traits as self-descriptive and were slower to categorize negative traits as self-descriptive. The results speak to the relation between the self-positivity bias and the self-reference effect and illustrate the malleability of self-processing.