Department of Psychology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St West, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Sainte-Justine University Hospital Research Centre, 3175 chemin Côte Ste-Catherine, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Eat Weight Disord. 2021 Mar;26(2):483-490. doi: 10.1007/s40519-020-00868-w. Epub 2020 Feb 21.
The extent to which body image-related thoughts are endorsed and drive behaviors, a process known as Body Image-Related Cognitive Fusion (BI-CF), is an important contributor to disordered eating. Moreover, negative mood and negative self-referential processes (e.g., low self-compassion) have been reportedly associated with disordered eating; however, their associations with BI-CF are not known. The aim of this study was to investigate, among young adults, the association between (1) BI-CF and disordered eating attitudes and behaviors (2) BI-CF and self-compassion, and (3) whether sad mood influences BI-CF.
Participants completed online questionnaires that assessed BI-CF, self-compassion, negative affect, cognitive reactivity and disordered eating (N = 601). A subsample (n = 51) underwent an in-lab session in which they were exposed to a validated psychological sad mood induction task followed by the assessment of BI-CF.
67.8% of variation in disordered eating was accounted for by BI-CF while controlling for covariates. Self-compassion was the strongest predictor of BI-CF levels, irrespective of other eating disorder or depression risk factors (p < 0.001). Increases in sad mood did not influence levels of BI-CF.
The endorsement of body image-related thoughts seems to play an important role in disordered eating. Compassionate self-responding may have positive influences on reducing negative body image-related thoughts. Furthermore, BI-CF appears to be a relatively stable phenomenon, irrespective of change in mood state. Results offer implications for the improvements in prevention and intervention models targeted towards disordered eating through self-compassion and cognitive defusion.
Part I: Level V, cross-sectional descriptive study. Part II: Level I, experimental study.
身体意象相关思维的认可程度及其驱动行为的过程，即身体意象相关认知融合（BI-CF），是导致饮食失调的一个重要因素。此外，负面情绪和负面自我参照过程（例如，低自我同情）与饮食失调有关；然而，它们与 BI-CF 的关系尚不清楚。本研究旨在调查年轻成年人中，（1）BI-CF 与饮食失调的态度和行为，（2）BI-CF 与自我同情之间的关系，以及（3）悲伤情绪是否会影响 BI-CF。
参与者完成了在线问卷，评估了 BI-CF、自我同情、负面情绪、认知反应和饮食失调（N=601）。一个亚组（n=51）在实验室进行了一次实验，在实验中他们接受了一个经过验证的心理悲伤情绪诱导任务，然后评估了 BI-CF。
在控制了协变量后，饮食失调的 67.8%可以用 BI-CF 来解释。自我同情是 BI-CF 水平的最强预测因素，无论其他饮食失调或抑郁风险因素如何（p<0.001）。悲伤情绪的增加不会影响 BI-CF 的水平。
身体意象相关思维的认可似乎在饮食失调中起着重要作用。富有同情心的自我回应可能对减少消极的身体意象相关思维有积极的影响。此外，BI-CF 似乎是一个相对稳定的现象，与情绪状态的变化无关。研究结果为通过自我同情和认知去融合来改善针对饮食失调的预防和干预模型提供了启示。
第一部分：五级，横断面描述性研究。第二部分：一级，实验研究。
