Psychological Explanations to AN Flashcards
How many psychological explanations of AN are there?
5
Name the 5 psychological explanations of AN
1) Cultural ideals
2) Media influences
3) Ethnicity
4) Peer influences
5) Personality
Outline cultural ideals in terms of psychological explanations of AN
Widely held belief that western standards of attractiveness are an important contributory factors to the development of AN
What study relates to cultural ideals in terms of psychological explanations of AN?
Gregory (00) - National Diet & Nutrition Survey of Young People
Outline Gregory (00)
Found 16% of 15-18year old girls in UK ‘currently on a diet’
Outline media influences in terms of psychological explanations of AN
Major source of influence for body image attitudes maintained by Western adolescents - e.g. portrayal of thin models on TV and magazines significant contributory factor in body image concerns and drive or thinness among Western adolescent girls - but media does not influence everyone in the same way
What study relates to media influences in terms of psychological explanations of AN?
Jones & Buckingham (05)
Outline Jones & Buckingham (05)
Individuals with low self-esteem more likely to compare themselves in idealised images portrayed in media
Outline ethnicity in terms of psychological explanations of AN
Other cultural groups do not place same value on thinness as an ideal for women - incidence of AN in non-western cultures and in black populations in western cultures much lower than within white western population
Name the 2 studies relating to ethnicity in terms of psychological explanations of AN
1) Grabe & Hyde (06)
2) Pollack (95)
Outline Grabe & Hyde (06)
Meta-analysis of 98 studies - found difference between African-American and Caucasian and Hispanic females - African-Americans reported significantly less body dissatisfaction than other 2 groups
Outline Pollack (95)
In many non-western cultures like Fiji and the Caribbean, there are more positive attitudes towards large body sizes, which are associated with attractiveness fertility and nurturance
Outline peer influences in terms of psychological explanations of AN
Peer acceptance is particularly important during adolescences so they may be particularly susceptible to peer influence on patterns of disordered eating - a specific mechanism of peer influence is teasing
Name the 2 studies relating to peer influences in terms of psychological explanations of AN
1) Eisenberg (05)
2) Jones & Crawford (06)
Outline Eisenberg (5)
Dieting among friends is significantly related to unhealthy weight control behaviours like the use of diet pills and purging
Outline Jones & Crawford (06)
Found overweight girls and underweight boys were most likely to be teased by their peers, suggesting that through teasing, peers serve to enforce gender-biased ideals
What is the study which looked into the effect of childhood on development of AN?
Hilde Bruch (73)
Outline Hilde Bruch (73)
Claimed origins AN in early childhood - distinguished between effective parents who respond appropriately to child’s needs (feeding them when hungry), and ineffective parents who fail to respond to child’s internal needs (comforting them when hungry) - children of ineffective parents may grow up confused about their internal needs, becoming overly reliant on parents - adolescence increases desire to establish autonomy, but adolescents are often unable to do so, feeling do not own their bodies - to overcome sense of helplessness, can take excessive control over body shape and size by developing abnormal eating habits
What are the 2 aspects of personality in terms of psychological explanations of AN?
1) Perfectionism
2) Impulsiveness
Outline perfectionism for personality in terms of psychological explanations of AN
Concern for mistakes - often found in individuals with An and other eating disorders
What study relates to perfectionism for personality in terms of psychological explanations of AN?
Strober (06)
Outline Strober (06)
Retrospectively evaluated personality traits in teenage boys and girls receiving treatment for AN and found high levels of perfectionism in 73% of girls and 50% of boys
Outline impulsiveness for personality in terms of psychological explanations of AN
Recent research show individuals with AN act more impulsively than they self-report
What study relates to impulsiveness for personality in terms of psychological explanations of AN?
Butler & Montgomery (05)