title: The effect of alcohol on body size discrepancy and self-awareness in young women.
abstract: Research has repeatedly verified high co-prevalence rates for bulimia and alcohol abuse. Two heuristics may help explain this co-occurrence. The self-inflation component of Steele and Josephs' myopia model has been evaluated and results have indicated that alcohol consumption results in decreased self-discrepancy. Research on Hull's self-awareness model also has largely found that alcohol decreases self-awareness among highly self-conscious individuals. Body size discrepancy and high self-awareness are believed to be core features of bulimia. Therefore, evidence that alcohol decreases body size discrepancy and self-awareness might clarify high rates of alcohol use in this population. A placebo-control design was used to examine the effect of alcohol on changes in body size discrepancy and self-awareness among female participants (N=57). However, results did not show a significant effect of alcohol on body size discrepancy or self-awareness, regardless of bulimic symptom severity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, United States. wolfewen@mail.armstrong.edu
authors.forename: Wendy L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Wolfe
authors.forename: Stephen A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Maisto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D001364:Awareness; D049628:Body Size; D002032:Bulimia / Q000523:psychology*; D003674:Defense Mechanisms; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D012649:Self Concept; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology