Department of Psychology, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, North Dartmouth, MA 02747-2300, USA.
Eat Behav. 2013 Apr;14(2):95-101. doi: 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2012.10.001. Epub 2012 Oct 10.
Sociotropic cognition is a mindset characterized by a strong need for social approval and fear of interpersonal rejection. Sociotropic cognition has been associated with depression and health risk behavior in women, but few studies have specifically addressed eating disordered attitudes and behaviors, and studies including men are lacking. The purpose of the present study was to assess the influence of sociotropic cognition on eating-related attitudes and behaviors in men and women. Participants were N=362 undergraduate students (51% female; mean age=19.2±1.43) who completed measures of sociotropic cognition, depressed mood, eating disordered attitudes and behaviors, body shape satisfaction, and physical activity. Using hierarchical regression, the results demonstrated that sociotropic cognition was associated with greater dietary restraint, body shape, eating, and weight concerns, emotional eating, and global eating disordered score. Body shape dissatisfaction and emotional eating were found to mediate the relationship between sociotropic cognition and eating disordered behaviors. Sociotropic cognition appears to be an important predictor of body shape dissatisfaction and eating disordered behaviors in a non-clinical sample. Individuals high in sociotropic cognition may engage in eating disordered behavior in response to fears of social evaluation. These findings have implications for prevention and treatment of eating disorders. Cognitive-behavioral intervention strategies are suggested to reduce sociotropic cognition and its influence on eating disordered behavior.
社交取向认知是一种心态特征，表现为强烈需要社会认可和害怕人际拒绝。社交取向认知与女性的抑郁和健康风险行为有关，但很少有研究专门针对饮食障碍态度和行为进行研究，且缺乏包括男性在内的研究。本研究的目的是评估社交取向认知对男性和女性与饮食相关的态度和行为的影响。参与者为 N=362 名本科学生（51%为女性；平均年龄=19.2±1.43），他们完成了社交取向认知、抑郁情绪、饮食障碍态度和行为、身体形状满意度和身体活动的测量。使用分层回归，结果表明社交取向认知与饮食节制、身体形状、饮食和体重担忧、情绪性进食和整体饮食障碍评分呈正相关。身体形状不满和情绪性进食被发现是社交取向认知与饮食障碍行为之间的中介关系。社交取向认知似乎是一个非临床样本中身体形状不满和饮食障碍行为的重要预测因素。社交取向认知高的个体可能会因为害怕社会评价而出现饮食障碍行为。这些发现对预防和治疗饮食障碍具有重要意义。建议采用认知行为干预策略来降低社交取向认知及其对饮食障碍行为的影响。
