title: Bulimic symptomatology: the role of adaptive perfectionism, shape and weight concern, and self-esteem.
abstract: An interactive model implicating high perfectionism, high weight and shape concern, and low self-esteem in the onset and maintenance of bulimic symptoms (Bardone, Vohs, Abramson, Heatherton, & Joiner, 2000; Vohs, Bardone, Joiner, Abramson, & Heatherton, 1999) has received mixed support. This study aimed to replicate the cross-sectional model in a clinical sample of women with eating disorders, and to investigate whether the model could predict changes in binge eating and purging at the end of treatment. Eating disorder outpatients (n=353) completed measures of perfectionism, weight/shape concern, self-esteem, and bulimic symptoms at pre-treatment and discharge. Contrary to the hypotheses, the three-way interaction did not predict binge eating or purging cross-sectionally or prospectively as a moderator of psychotherapy outcome. It was concluded that the robustness of the interactive model seems questionable and may be impacted by an inadequate conceptualization of the perfectionism construct.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Clinical Interventions, Western Australia. hunna.watson@health.wa.gov.au
authors.forename: Hunna J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Watson
authors.forename: Anna L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Steele
authors.forename: Jacqueline L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Bergin
authors.forename: Anthea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fursland
authors.forename: Tracey D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Wade
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000856:Anorexia Nervosa / Q000523:psychology; D056912:Binge-Eating Disorder / Q000523:psychology; D001828:Body Image; D001835:Body Weight; D002032:Bulimia / Q000523:psychology; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D010551:Personality; D012649:Self Concept; D055815:Young Adult