anorexia- cognitive theory (faulty cognitions)

Question 1

what does this theory suggest

Answer 1

sees AN as the product of maladaptive thought processes, such as an individual wishing to attain an unattainable level of perfection (in this case unrealistic thinness) in order to be an acceptable person
These dysfunctional thought processes produce cognitive distortions, which are errors in thinking that negatively affect an individual’s body image

Question 2

what may cognitive distortions lead to

Answer 2

Cognitive distortions may result in someone imposing very strict rules on themselves about eating, with rule-breaking leading to a sense of self-disgust and further lowering self-esteem
This negative spiral of cognitive distortions may in turn lead to even more severe AN

Question 3

what are 3 common cognitive distortions

Answer 3

Connecting self-worth to physical appearance only

Perceiving the body as overweight when it is underweight

Having faulty beliefs about eating and dieting

Question 4

what are irrational beliefs

Answer 4

unrealistic ideas that lead to the development and maintenance of AN

Question 5

what is 3 examples of irrational beliefs

Answer 5

all or nothing thinking e.g one piece of chocolate and believe they’ll put on lots of weight
Magical thinking - the individual believes that if they could just reach their (usually totally unreasonable) target weight then they would be happy and popular
unfavorable comparisons with others

Question 6

what are 2 characteristics of cognitive distortions and irrational beliefs

Answer 6

perfectionism- anything less seen as failure. distorts the individual’s self-perception and exacerbates harmful eating behaviors.
catastrophizing- catastrophize the consequences of eating, believing that even a small amount of food will lead to immediate and uncontrollable weight gain. This irrational belief reinforces restrictive eating behaviors.

Question 7

how does this show through into personality

Answer 7

low self esteem

Question 8

who researched cognitive bias

Answer 8

Treasure and Schmidt (2013)
Cooper (2007) - in the mark scheme

Question 9

Treasure and Schmidt (2013)
5 traits

Answer 9

Anorexics sufferers exhibit these traits more than the general population:
Rigid thinking,
Cognitive inflexibility
Perfectionism,
Attention to detail
Difficulty expressing their emotions

Question 10

Cooper (2007) experiment explained

Answer 10

Compared 15 anorexic individuals with dieters and controls, using cognitive tasks and self-report questionnaires
examined the content and intensity of negative automatic thoughts, particularly
body dissatisfaction
fear of weight gain
and self-criticism.

Question 11

Cooper (2007) findings

Answer 11

AN participants reported significantly more negative automatic thoughts about themselves and their bodies compared to the control group. Including overestimations of body size, intense fear of weight gain, and feelings of inadequacy or failure.
AN sufferers displayed cognitive biases such as:
Catastrophizing: Believing that gaining weight would lead to disaster or total loss of control.
All-or-Nothing Thinking: Seeing their body image in extremes (e.g., “If I’m not thin, I’m a failure”).
Selective Abstraction: Focusing only on perceived flaws while ignoring positive aspects of themselves.
The intensity of negative thoughts correlated with the severity of the disorder.

Question 12

strength

Question 13

weakness (cooper)

Answer 13

Many studies rely on self-reported data, which can be biased by social desirability or lack of insight, particularly in individuals with anorexia who may not accurately report their thoughts and behaviors.