title: Discrimination of facial appearance stimuli in body dysmorphic disorder.
abstract: Cognitive-behavioral models of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) propose that information-processing biases--in particular, selective attention to a defect in one's appearance as well as improved aesthetical perception--might contribute to the development or maintenance of the disorder. In the present study, the authors tested the hypothesis that patients with BDD discriminate facial appearance stimuli more accurately than controls. Sixty female patients from a dermatological clinic participated in the study: 21 patients with BDD, 19 patients with disfiguring dermatological conditions, and 20 patients with nondisfiguring dermatological disorders. Participants rated dissimilarities between pictures of neutral faces that had been manipulated with regard to aesthetic characteristics. Manipulation ratings of participants with BDD were significantly more accurate than those of both control groups. Implications of these results for cognitive theories of BDD are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Jena, Jena, Germany. Ulrich.Stangier@uni-jena.de
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Stangier
authors.forename: Stefanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Adam-Schwebe
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Manfred
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wolter
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D001288:Attention; D001828:Body Image; D003702:Delusions / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology*; D004193:Discrimination Learning; D004954:Esthetics; D005145:Face; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000523:psychology