Title:
Resistance to change eating disordered attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors in anorexic spectrum and bulimic spectrum individuals
Author:
Sylvia Sameh Hanna
Thesis Advisor:
Sharon Green-Hennessy
Committee Member:
Beth A. Kotchick
Committee Member:
Rachel Grover
Committee Member:
James Mirakcy
Committee Member:
Alsion Papadakis
Degree Granting Institution:
Loyola University Maryland--College of Arts and Sciences
Place:
Baltimore (Md.)
Publisher:
Loyola University Maryland
Date Created:
2012
Type of Resource:
text
Genre:
thesis
Language:
eng
Format:
application/pdf
Physical Form:
electronic
Digital Source:
born digital
Abstract:
Eating disorders pose a significant problem both in the US and internationally and have many physical, psychological, and emotional difficulties associated with them. They are typically quite resistant to change and thus, pose a problem with regard to their treatment. The study examined the differences between individuals on the anorexic (AN) spectrum and on the bulimic (BN) spectrum with regard to their resistance to change their eating disordered attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. Additionally, it examined differences in individuals' likelihood to view the same eating disordered attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors as problematic if observed in a close friend. The study examined 218 undergraduate female students who were enrolled in a psychology course. Participants were asked to complete a Background Information Questionnaire, Eating Disorder Diagnostic Scale (EDDS), Anorexia and Bulimia Close Friend Symptom Scale, and the Adapted and Combined ANSOCQ/BNSOCQ online. Individuals were divided into four groups (i.e., healthy control, AN spectrum, BN spectrum, and binge-eating disorder [BED] spectrum) using the EDDS. Results yielded no significant differences with regard to the likelihood of healthy controls, those on the AN spectrum, or BN spectrum to view eating disordered attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors as problematic if observed in a close friend. Furthermore, results were not significant in terms of AN and BN spectrum individuals' resistance to change their own eating disordered attitudes and beliefs. In partial support of the hypotheses, results showed that there was a significant difference between the AN spectrum and BN spectrum groups with regard to their resistance to change their eating disordered behaviors. However, contrary to the direction that was originally hypothesized, those on the BN spectrum exhibited more resistance to change their eating disordered behaviors than did those on the AN spectrum. In addition to the originally proposed analyses, supplemental analyses comparing the BED spectrum group to the other three groups (i.e., controls, AN spectrum, and BN spectrum) revealed significant differences between the BN spectrum and both the AN spectrum and control groups with regard to resistance to change their eating disordered behaviors. Lastly, all three clinical diagnoses were combined into a clinical group and all three subclinical diagnoses were combined into a subclinical group, with healthy controls being the third group. Results showed significant differences between the clinical group and the healthy controls with regard to their resistance to change their eating disordered attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. A greater proportion of clinical participants in the BN group as compared to the AN group may play a role in explaining the unexpected findings regarding the BN groups greater resistance to change. This study may have significant clinical implications as clinicians work to understand the purpose that eating disordered behaviors, particularly in clients with BN, serve. Additionally, it will be important for clinicians to aid clients in achieving the ?ǣbenefits?ǥ of BN behaviors in a healthier and more adaptive manner. Lastly, limitations of the study and directions for future research are also discussed.
Subject:
Electronic dissertations
Degree:
Doctor of Clinical Psychology
Level:
Doctoral
Discipline:
Psychology
Restrictions on Access:
Author has given permission to make this work available online.
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Identifier:
HannaSS-12
