Self-Construction, Cognitive Conflicts, and Disordered Eating Attitudes in Young Women

Abstract

The aim of this study is to identify cognitive variables that predict disordered eating attitudes in a nonclinical sample composed of 50 female university students. Repertory grid technique was used to assess cognitive features of self-construing and cognitive conflicts. Drive for Thinness and Body Dissatisfaction scales from the Eating Disorder Inventory–2 were used as dependent variables, as previous studies suggested that high scores on these scales are associated with the risk of developing or aggravating eating syndromes. Results suggest that drive for thinness can be associated with cognitive conflicts, whereas body dissatisfaction may be higher for those who construct themselves as inadequate and similar to others. In addition, both dependent variables were predicted by being younger and having a higher body mass index.

Acknowledgments

This work has been supported by the Departament d’Educació i Universitats de la Generalitat de Catalunya and the European Social Fund by means of a fellowship given to the first author, and also by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación. ref. PSI2008-00406.

Notes

^aData extracted from the Spanish adaptation of the Eating Disorder Inventory–2 Manual (Corral et al., 1998).