Dissonance prevention program decreases thin-ideal internalization, body dissatisfaction, dieting, negative affect, and bulimic symptoms: A preliminary experiment.
OBJECTIVE
Because psychoeducational primary prevention programs for eating disorders have met with little success, this preliminary experiment tested a dissonance-based targeted preventive intervention.


METHODS
Female undergraduates (N = 30) with elevated body image concerns were assigned to a three-session intervention, wherein they voluntarily argued against the thin ideal, or a delayed-intervention control condition. Participants completed a baseline, termination, and a 1-month follow-up survey.


RESULTS
The intervention resulted in a subsequent decrease in thin-ideal internalization, body dissatisfaction, dieting, negative affect, and bulimic symptomatology, with most changes remaining at the 1-month follow-up.


CONCLUSIONS
These preliminary results suggest that this dissonance-based targeted prevention intervention reduces bulimic pathology and known risk factors for eating disturbances, and provide experimental support for the claim that thin-ideal internalization contributes to body dissatisfaction, dieting, negative affect, and bulimic symptoms.
Stice
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Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712, USA. stice@psy.utexas.edu
Mazotti
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Weibel
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D
Agras
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D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D001828:Body Image; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002032:Bulimia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D004032:Diet; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D011897:Random Allocation; D012307:Risk Factors; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires