Self-discrepancies and vulnerability to body dissatisfaction and disordered eating.
Two studies explored the relevance of self-discrepancies for body dissatisfaction and disordered eating. In Study 1, actual:ideal self-discrepancies of female undergraduates correlated with body shape dissatisfaction independent of Ss' body mass and number of appearance-related self-beliefs; actual:ought discrepancy was discriminantly associated with anorexic-related attitudes and behaviors. In Study 2 (using a mixed-gender sample), bulimic-related behaviors were associated with a form of actual:ideal discrepancy (unfulfilled positive potential) whereas anorexic-related symptoms were associated with actual:ought discrepancy. Both genders showed the predicted relations between self-discrepancies and disordered eating, and the predicted associations remained even when appearance-related attributes were excluded from scoring of self-discrepancies.
Strauman
T J
TJ
Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53706.
Vookles
J
J
Berenstein
V
V
Chaiken
S
S
Higgins
E T
ET
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000523:psychology; D001828:Body Image; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002032:Bulimia / Q000523:psychology; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011594:Psychometrics; D012649:Self Concept