learning explanations of anorexia Flashcards
1
Q
what are the western ideals for body shape and how does this differ culturally?
A
- western = girls are slim and males are muscular and tall
- countries such as Fiji a fuller figure is desired (may be lower rates of AN)
2
Q
how does classical conditioning explain anorexia?
A
- learn to associate eating with anxiety which comes from their fear that eating will lead to weight gain which could make them unattractive
- therefore by losing weight the patients
3
Q
how does operant conditioning link to anorexia?
A
- positive reinforcement e.g. compliments about weight loss and concern can act as a reinforcer from the attention
- negative reinforcement e.g. negative emotions about gaining weight are removed
- vicarious punishment e.g. may see people in the media getting hate comments for gaining weight
4
Q
how can social learning theory explain anorexia?
A
- attention payed to role models who are displaying anorexic behaviours
- retention e.g. may be consistently checking social media
- motor reproduction e.g. may begin restricting the diet and taking part in extreme exercise
- motivation may be vicarious
- self efficacy high, self esteem low
5
Q
what is the supporting study of fear?
A
- found that there was an increase in eating disorder among teenage girls in fiji which may have been linked to the arrival of TV on their island
- 74% reported feeling too big
6
Q
what is the opposing study of Grice et al which supports the idea of reductionism?
A
- found evidence of a genetic link in anorexia after following 192 families as he found a marker on chromosome 1 that was present in the family members of AN
- therefore there may be biological reasons for AN
7
Q
what is the supporting study of barlow and durand?
A
- over half the contestants for Miss America were 15% or more below expected bodyweight
8
Q
what is an issue with individual differences?
A
- doesn’t explain variations in vulnerability
- most young girls are exposed to cultural and media pressures towards slimness
- however 3-4% of them develop an eating disorder (eysenck and flanagan)
8
Q
what is the supporting study of shwartz et al?
A
- Miss America over 20 years and found that weight decreased on average
9
Q
why is the explanation deterministic?
A
- environmentally deterministic as it implies that the environment shapes behaviour and we have no free will in that
10
Q
what is a positive application of this explanation?
A
- aim to prevent idealised images being presented in the media
- family therapy to change norms and remove blame from the individual
11
Q
what is the method used in most studies?
A
- correlational
