Key Question Flashcards
What is the Clinical Psychology Key Question?
Are eating disorders caused by nurture, through the influence of celebrity role models or by nature?
What are the implications of eating disorders on society? (3 points)
Over 1.25 million people live with eating disorders in the UK
24.9% prevalence of suicide attempts from those affected by anorexia nervosa in the US
The UK Government spends an estimated £9.4 billion per year on national mental health campaigns
What are the political implications of eating disorders? (3 points)
The rise of eating disorders within a population can result in policy change, for example:
+ Leading fashion brands (Gucci, Dior and Louis Vuitton), banning size zero models in their advertisement campaigns
+ The UK government raising awareness through anti-stigma campaigns for mental health
What are implications of eating disorders on the individual? (3 points)
Eating disorders are detrimental, particularly for young women - prevalence of eating disorders is shown to be higher in women than in men
It is believed that eating disorders affect 1 in 5 women in the UK aged 16 and over (Times UK report 2019)
Individuals affected by eating disorders are also prone to serious health conditions - up to 80% of patients with AN suffer from cardiovascular complications with cardiac arrest accounting for a third of related deaths (BMI case reports, Sian-Lee 2013)
What are the factors influencing the development of eating disorders? (4 points)
- Nurture: Bandura & SLT
- Genetics & EPHX2
- Brain structures and Neurotransmitters
Conclusion: epigenetic
How does SLT explain the development of eating disorders? (5 points)
SLT explains how disturbed eating patterns and exercise routines develop through the observation and imitation of same-sex celebrity role models
- Attention is paid to highly desirable celebrities - rise in recent years of social media platform usage by impressionable young teenagers
- Retention of role models promoting exercise routines and diets
- Motor Reproduction - teens have autonomy and are physically capable of controlling their dietary intake and exercise routines
- Motivation - teenagers might receive compliments for their weight loss or see their role models rewarded with ‘likes’ on social media (vicarious reinforcement)
How does Bandura’s 1961 study support SLT causing the development of eating disorders? (3 points)
Bandura (1961):
+ Average of 25.8 aggressive acts copied by boys from a male role model
+ Average of 5.5 aggressive acts copied from a female role model
This demonstrates how observation and imitation of same-sex role models can lead to learned behaviours
How is SLT limited as an explanation for the development of eating disorders? (3 points)
Could be argued that Bandura’s SLT as a nurture explanation of eating disorders is both ethnocentric and has low generalisability
The 72 children used in his study were from the prestigious Stanford University Nursery School - may have been raised in affluent socio-economic backgrounds from a Western, individualistic culture which values autonomy
This means the findings of Bandura’s study may not be representative of collectivist societies which value interdependence
What is the implication on society if SLT causes the development of eating disorders? (2 points)
Eating disorders are significantly impacted by the influence of celebrity role models
Social media platforms should be encouraged to place age restrictions and filters for inappropriate content that may encourage teenagers to imitate fad diets and waist trainer routines for weight loss
How do genetics explain the development of eating disorders? (3 points)
Genetics could be the root cause of the symptoms exhibited by AN patients
Scott-Van Zeeland et al (2014):
Found 14 variants (alleles) of the EPHX2 gene linked to cholesterol regulation and BMI
Further support comes from the use of twin studies like Kipman et al (1999):
Concordance rates of 44% for MZ and 12.5% for DZ anorexic twins, suggesting a genetic link
How is genetics limited as an explanation for the development of eating disorders? (3 points)
Could be argued that the validity of twin studies is decreased because of the quasi-experimental design
Often uses an independent variable (MZ/DZ twins) which is naturally occurring
Correlation does not always mean causation when studying concordance rates for twin studies - psychologists may be failing to account for confounding factors
What is the implication on society if genetics cause the development of eating disorders? (2 points)
Preventative genetic screening programmes should be introduced so predisposed individuals can be offered help sooner
This will in turn reduce the costs incurred by the government and resources used by the NHS
How do brain structures and neurotransmitters explain the development of eating disorders? (3 points)
Anorexic patients are also shown to have abnormal functioning in their Lateral hypothalamus which is the ‘hunger centre’ of the brain - normally, when this is stimulated, people feel hungry so they eat
AN patients have lesions in their LH, causing abnormal neurone signalling, resulting in a loss in appetite and restrictive eating patterns
Other biological explanations also highlight the role of neurotransmitters like dopamine - believed that anorexic patients have naturally high levels of dopamine so do not seek pleasurable activities like eating
What is the supporting and refuting evidence for brain structures and neurotransmitters causing the development of eating disorders? (2 points)
Supported by:
Bailer et al. (2012)
Whiting (2018)
Refuted by: Becker et al (1998)
Could be argued that nature explanations remain biologically reductionist - they don’t consider the role of the environment and social situations
What is the implication on society if brain structures and neurotransmitters cause the development of eating disorders?
To regulate and impose bans on TV programmes for inappropriate content like ‘watershed’ as seen in the UK after 9pm
