Perceptual and cognitive biases in individuals with body dysmorphic disorder symptoms

Abstract

Given the extreme focus on perceived physical defects in body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), we expected that perceptual and cognitive biases related to physical appearance would be associated with BDD symptomology. To examine these hypotheses, participants (N=70) high and low in BDD symptoms completed tasks assessing visual perception and cognition. As expected, there were significant group differences in self-relevant, but not other-relevant, cognitive biases. Perceptual bias results were mixed, with some evidence indicating that individuals high (versus low) in BDD symptoms literally see themselves in a less positive light. Further, individuals high in BDD symptoms failed to demonstrate a normative self-enhancement bias. Overall, this research points to the importance of assessing both cognitive and perceptual biases associated with BDD symptoms, and suggests that visual perception may be influenced by non-visual factors.

Acknowledgements

This research was supported in part by the University of Virginia Raven Fellowship to EMC, and an NIH RO1MH0757810–1A2 grant to BAT.

We would like to thank Dennis R. Proffitt and members of the Program for Anxiety Cognition & Treatment (PACT) Lab for their helpful feedback. For research assistance, thanks to: Irina Bocarnea, Alden Gaertner, Erin Horn, Elizabeth Schottinger, and Jessica Zinder.

Notes

¹We were only able to create morphed versions of Caucasian faces, so only Caucasian individuals were invited to participate. However, due to an error in recruitment, 5 participants (3 low BDD, 2 high BDD) reported they were biracial. These participants are included in all analyses other than those specific to the MT. Additionally, one participant withdrew from the study.

Only those materials relevant to the current hypotheses are listed here. For a more complete listing, please contact the first author.

³Two participants in the Low Group and 5 from the High Group refused to allow their pictures to be rated by the independent evaluators. Five additional participants were not rated due to experimenter or participant error.

⁴As noted by one anonymous reviewer, the mirror exposure during the MT may have resulted in greater distress for the high BDD group, potentially influencing their responses. Future research should directly investigate the impact of mood on perception.