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Updated: Jun 10, 2026

Control of Eating Behavior Using a Novel Feedback System
Published on: May 8, 2018
Social cognition in eating disorders: encoding and representational processes in binging and purging patients
Lily Rothschild-Yakar1, Zohar Eviatar, Adi Shamia
1Safra Children's Hospital, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel. Lilyrot@yahoo.com
Objective:
The present study investigates social cognition impairments in 29 women with bingeing/purging spectrum eating disorders (ED) compared to 27 healthy controls.
Method:
Measures were used to examine encoding and representational processes in relation to affect perception and affect attribution, as well as the ability to recognize mental causality in social relationships.
Results:
ED patients failed to correctly encode causality in interpersonal relations, exhibited deficits in their ability to ascribe behaviour to mental states, and showed a greater tendency to attribute negative affects in interpersonal relationships. Stepwise regression analyses suggested that ED symptoms could account for deficits in the recognition of causality in interpersonal relations.
Conclusions:
In addition to addressing ED symptoms, social cognition deficits should be addressed in the psychological treatment of EDs.
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