Differences in eye-movement patterns between anorexic and control observers when judging body size and attractiveness

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Attentional biases can influence visual information processing during body size judgments.
• These biases may contribute to the overestimation of body size, a common feature in eating disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate differences in eye-movements and attentional patterns between individuals with anorexia nervosa and healthy controls when judging body size and attractiveness.
• To explore how altered visual sampling impacts body size perception and ideal body image.

Main Methods:

• Recruited 16 individuals with anorexia nervosa and 16 age-matched controls.
• Measured eye-movements during body size and attractiveness judgments.
• Employed a novel eye-movement analysis technique with spatial statistical methods for detailed pattern discrimination.

Main Results:

• Anorexic observers overestimated body size compared to controls.
• Anorexic observers preferred lower body mass index (BMI) bodies as more attractive.
• Control group fixations centered on the stomach; anorexic group showed wider fixation patterns including hip and collar bones.

Conclusions:

• Attentional biases in anorexia nervosa lead to altered visual sampling of body features.
• Wider visual attention patterns in anorexia nervosa may contribute to body size overestimation and a preference for lower ideal body weights.