Personal constructs in anorexia.
A repertory grid of 12 elements and 12 constructs was presented to 15 female subjects suffering from primary anorexia nervosa and 15 matched control subjects. Cluster analysis, as used by Makhlouf-Norris and Norris (1973) revealed that the anorexic group had a prevalence of segmented and monolithic structures and the normal group a prevalence of articulated structures. The relationships between the elements was examined and the anorexic group showed significantly more "ideal self" isolation, "social" and "present self" alienation than the control group. The average distance between the elements was significantly greater in the anorexic group than in the control group. Analysis of the first two components showed that the first component accounted for more variance than the second when compared to the normals. It is concluded that the repertory grid is a valid method of investigating the conceptual disturbance in anorexia nervosa.
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011581:Psychological Tests; D011594:Psychometrics; D012649:Self Concept; D012918:Social Alienation; D012934:Social Isolation