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Self-discrepancies and vulnerability to body dissatisfaction and disordered eating
T J Strauman1, J Vookles, V Berenstein
1Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin, Madison 53706.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology
|December 1, 1991
Summary
Self-discrepancies, the gap between who we are and who we want to be, are linked to body dissatisfaction and disordered eating in both men and women. These findings hold true even when appearance is not considered.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Eating Disorders
Background:
- Self-discrepancy theory posits that discrepancies between actual, ideal, and ought selves contribute to psychological distress.
- Body dissatisfaction and disordered eating are significant public health concerns with complex etiologies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between self-discrepancies and body dissatisfaction.
- To examine the association between self-discrepancies and disordered eating attitudes and behaviors.
Main Methods:
- Two studies were conducted, involving undergraduate samples (Study 1: female; Study 2: mixed-gender).
- Self-discrepancies (actual:ideal and actual:ought) were assessed and correlated with measures of body dissatisfaction and disordered eating.
- Analyses controlled for body mass index and the number of appearance-related self-beliefs.
Main Results:
- Actual:ideal self-discrepancies correlated with body shape dissatisfaction in women, irrespective of body mass or appearance-related self-beliefs.
- Actual:ought discrepancies were specifically linked to anorexic-related attitudes and behaviors.
- In a mixed-gender sample, bulimic behaviors related to unfulfilled positive potential (actual:ideal discrepancy), while anorexic symptoms related to actual:ought discrepancies.
- These associations were consistent across genders and persisted even when appearance-related attributes were excluded.
Conclusions:
- Self-discrepancies are relevant to body dissatisfaction and disordered eating across genders.
- Specific types of self-discrepancies are differentially associated with anorexic and bulimic symptomatology.
- The findings underscore the importance of self-discrepancy theory in understanding the psychological underpinnings of disordered eating.
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