Transcript Mood,Implicit Associations, and Cognitive Vulnerability Buneka

Body Image Flexibility as a Predictor of Eating Pathology
Megan E. Strowger, Alyssa J. Matteucci, Adrienne S. Juarascio, Ph.D., Evan Forman, Ph.D., & James Herbert, Ph.D.
Drexel University
Current Study
Introduction
Procedure
•Participants were asked to complete self-report measures through
an online survey website at baseline (A1), a three-month time-point
(A2), and a six-month time-point (A3).
•Body image-related
flexibility (BIF) refers to a
willingness to experience
negative thoughts, physical
sensations, or feelings
about the body
•Prior research has shown
that the BIF, measured by
the Body Image Acceptance
and Action Questionnaire
(BIAAQ), predicts drive for
thinness and eating
pathology
•Additional research is
needed to determine:
• Which aspects of eating
pathology are most
associated with BIF
• If the BIAAQ is more
predictive of eating
pathology than existing
measures of
psychological flexibility
(e.g. AAQ)
.
Main Outcome Measures
•Eating Disorder Inventory-3
•Body Image Acceptance and Action Questionnaire
•Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II
Data Analytic Strategy
•Multiple correlation analyses were conducted with the summated AAQ and BIAAQ scores and the EDI-3 Bulimic Symptoms and Drive for Thinness subscales
at each time point using SPSS 20.
Results
Correlation analyses revealed that there was a significant correlation between
BI-AAQ scores and EDI-3 subscales assessing eating pathology (Bulimic
Symptoms: p<0.001; Drive for Thinness: p<0.001). Comparisons of the strength
of the correlations using Fisher’s z scores indicated that the BIAAQ was
significantly more related to eating pathology relative to the general AAQ
(Bulimic Symptoms: z=2.11, p<.05; Drive for Thinness: z=1.61, p=.10).
• Both the AAQ and BIAAQ
predicted eating pathology
cross-sectionally, but
results were stronger for
the BIAAQ. Results
showed a similar pattern
when longitudinal analyses
were conducted.
•These results suggest that
domain specific measures
of psychological flexibility
may be especially useful
for assessing risk of
developing eating
pathology.
Future research is
needed to:
•Examine the role body
image-related inflexibility
has in the development of
eating pathology in an
adolescent population.
•Develop a study with
additional assessment
time- points and recruit a
larger sample size.
Participants
• n = 56
• Undergraduate females
• Between the ages of 18 and
25
Discussion
Cross-sectional results are depicted graphically above.
Please contact [email protected]
with any questions about this research.