Guardia et al (2012)

Question 1

Aim

Answer 1

To investigate the perceptual problem extended beyond the individual with anorexia nervosa to other people

Question 2

Sample

Answer 2

25 females from clinic in Lille, France
Control = 25 fem matched on age (average 24), level of education (av 13yrs after primary)
12 with restricting type and 13 with binge/purge type

Question 3

Procedure

Answer 3

Used DSM-IV criteria for AN diagnosis
BMI shoulder width
Door frame they walk through
51 different shapes projected from 30-80cm wide
Random order frame
Presented 4x to each participant
Tested alone and asked to predict if they could walk through door frame, normal speed without turning to side, then asked researcher if they could fit through the frame

Question 4

Results

Answer 4

Significant overestimation of body size, unable to fit through door frame, they were bigger than they thought
More accurate prediction when researcher walks through
Control = no sig dif in predictions
AN group thought themself to be 30% larger and control 10% larger

Question 5

Conclusion

Answer 5

Brain still perceives body to be larger after losing weight despite visual information
Those who lost weight 6 months before study showed greater difference between own and other person perception
Positive correlation between amount of weight lost and difference between passibility

Question 6

Generalisability

Answer 6

-Only 25 pps studied. Not high enough to support conclusion that AN only affects own body size and not other ppls
-All same age and gender
-Used researcher with same body type as pps, control had an advantage at estimating passability. However researcher found in order to get third person who has similar body size may involve patients with AN, person with anorexia judging another with anorexia

Question 7

Reliability

Answer 7

Controls implemented, door fram sies
Lab experiment, standardised procedures

Question 8

Ecological validity

Answer 8

Making a visual judgement different to attempting to walk through
Artificial yet everyday task

Question 9

Ethical

Answer 9

Chose nto to have participants judge another anorexic individual
Good methodology but cause psychological harm

Question 10

Nature vs nurture

Answer 10

Anorexia = biological vs sociocultural
E.g. Hoek et al (2005) Curacao culturally acceptable to be overweight and had no an cases

Question 11

Psych knowledge in society

Answer 11

Biological explanations can chaneg societys view on disorder, more compassionate rather than just saying “why dont you just eat?”
US health insurance now have to pay out to AN sufferers because its not self inflicted and alegitimate medical condition

Question 12

Culture issues

Answer 12

Guardia et al 2012 looked at 25 females from Lille, France
Culturally biased

Question 13

Gender issues

Answer 13

Implicit biases
Women and man could both go to clinician with same symptoms but the woman is more liely to get diagnosed with mental health disorder of anoerxia than the man, because it fits the stereotype

Question 14

Socially sensitive research definition

Answer 14

Research that has negative implications for the individual or group they represent beyond the confined of a study
Asked pts to compare body size with another individual, common symptom is low self esteem. Asking anorexics to actively compare their body size to others could have made their self esteem worse

Question 15

Comparisons of ways of explaining behaviour

Answer 15

Genetic vs sociocultural
Genetic cannot account fo why anorexia more prevalent in some cultures rather than others
But sociocultural can account for ideal “slim is beautiful”