Self-verification and bulimic symptoms: do bulimic women play a role in perpetuating their own dissatisfaction and symptoms?
OBJECTIVE
It is suggested that self-verification theory may provide insight as to why bulimic symptoms often persist for years, sometimes even despite intervention. In an effort to meet basic needs for self-confirmation, bulimic women may invite the very responses they fear (e.g., negative feedback about appearance), and thus propagate their symptoms. It was thus predicted that interest in negative feedback would be correlated with body dissatisfaction and bulimic symptoms, and that interest in negative feedback would serve as a risk factor for development of later symptoms, via the mediating effects of increased body dissatisfaction.


METHODS
Seventy-nine undergraduate women completed self-report assessments of interest in negative feedback, bulimic symptoms, and body dissatisfaction.


CONCLUSIONS
Results supported the prediction that, despite serious concerns about body appearance, bulimic women were interested in the very feedback that would aggravate these concerns. Moreover, interest in negative feedback appeared to serve as a risk factor for development of later symptoms, via the mediating effects of increased body dissatisfaction. The clinical implications of these findings are discussed.
Joiner
T E
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Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee 32306-1270, USA.
D000328:Adult; D001828:Body Image; D002032:Bulimia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D005246:Feedback; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D010549:Personal Satisfaction; D011582:Psychological Theory; D012380:Role; D012649:Self Concept; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires