Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Self-Discrepancy and Its Effects01:29

Self-Discrepancy and Its Effects

403
Self-discrepancy theory explains how people compare their actual self to their ideal and ought selves and how mismatches between these self-guides can lead to emotional distress. Developed by E. Tory Higgins, the theory distinguishes among three components of self-concept: the actual self, the ideal self, and the ought self. These refer respectively to how individuals perceive themselves, how they aspire to be, and how they believe they are obligated to be. Emotional well-being, self-esteem,...
403
Self-Discrepancy Theory02:45

Self-Discrepancy Theory

19.0K
One influential perspective on what motivates people's behavior is detailed in Tory Higgin's self-discrepancy theory (Higgins, 1987). He proposed that people hold disagreeing internal representations of themselves that lead to different emotional states.  
19.0K
Anorexia Nervosa01:28

Anorexia Nervosa

1.7K
Anorexia nervosa is a complex and severe eating disorder characterized by an intense fear of weight gain, an unrelenting pursuit of thinness, and a distorted body image. It often leads to dangerously low body weight relative to an individual's age and height. This disorder is marked by significant physical and psychological consequences, making it one of the most life-threatening psychiatric illnesses.
Symptoms and Physical Effects
Individuals with anorexia nervosa commonly exhibit extreme...
1.7K
Binge Eating Disorders01:23

Binge Eating Disorders

670
Binge eating disorder is a significant mental health condition characterized by recurrent episodes of excessive food consumption within a short period, accompanied by a perceived loss of control over eating behavior. Unlike occasional overeating, binge eating disorder is marked by distressing emotions such as guilt, shame, and anxiety following binge episodes. The disorder affects individuals across different ages and backgrounds, with profound implications for physical and psychological...
670
Bulimia Nervosa01:30

Bulimia Nervosa

937
Bulimia nervosa is a complex and severe eating disorder characterized by a cyclical pattern of binge-and-purge eating pattern. It generally involves an episode of binge eating, followed by compensatory behaviors such as vomiting, excessive exercise, laxative use, or fasting, to prevent weight gain. Despite often maintaining a normal weight, individuals with bulimia are intensely preoccupied with their body image and harbor an overwhelming fear of gaining weight. This can contribute to the...
937
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)01:27

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)

1.5K
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) serves as the primary classification system for mental health disorders, providing standardized diagnostic criteria for clinicians and researchers. First published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) in 1952, the DSM has undergone several revisions to reflect evolving psychiatric understanding. The fifth edition, DSM-5, released in 2013, introduced key updates that expanded diagnostic categories and modified diagnostic...
1.5K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Personal causal modeling of affect and eating behaviors in bulimia nervosa: implications for personalized treatment.

Journal of eating disorders·2026
Same author

Facets of Dietary Restraint Associated With Disordered Eating Behaviors Among Children and Adolescents With Higher Weight.

Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.)·2025
Same author

Affect, interoception, and disordered and intuitive eating behaviors: Examining momentary mediational associations among women with eating disorder pathology.

Appetite·2025
Same author

General and Symptom-Specific Illness Duration and Course as Predictors of Symptom Severity in Anorexia Nervosa.

The International journal of eating disorders·2025
Same author

Regulation of Cues vs Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Binge Eating and Weight Loss Among Veterans: A Feasibility and Randomized Clinical Trial.

JAMA network open·2025
Same author

(Mis)matches in Daily Weight Stigma Perpetrators' and Targets' Genders and Races Relative to Targets' Daily Disordered Eating Behaviors: Examining Differences Between Black and White Women.

Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 14, 2026

A Computer-Based Platform for Aiding Clinicians in Eating Disorder Analysis and Diagnosis
04:19

A Computer-Based Platform for Aiding Clinicians in Eating Disorder Analysis and Diagnosis

Published on: May 10, 2022

4.7K

Self-Discrepancy and Eating Disorder Symptoms Across Eating Disorder Diagnostic Groups.

Tyler B Mason1, Jason M Lavender2,3, Stephen A Wonderlich2,3

  • 1Department of Clinical Research, Neuropsychiatric Research Institute, Fargo, ND, USA. tmason@nrifargo.com.

European Eating Disorders Review : the Journal of the Eating Disorders Association
|September 28, 2016
PubMed
Summary

Self-discrepancy, the gap between who you are and who you want to be, is linked to eating disorders (EDs). Different types of self-discrepancy are associated with specific ED diagnoses and symptom severity.

Keywords:
anorexia nervosabinge eating disorderbulimia nervosaeating disordersself-discrepancy

More Related Videos

Use of a Psychophysiological Script-driven Imagery Experiment to Study Trauma-related Dissociation in Borderline Personality Disorder
09:55

Use of a Psychophysiological Script-driven Imagery Experiment to Study Trauma-related Dissociation in Borderline Personality Disorder

Published on: March 8, 2018

13.3K
Assessing Activity-based Anorexia in Mice
08:26

Assessing Activity-based Anorexia in Mice

Published on: May 14, 2018

13.2K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 14, 2026

A Computer-Based Platform for Aiding Clinicians in Eating Disorder Analysis and Diagnosis
04:19

A Computer-Based Platform for Aiding Clinicians in Eating Disorder Analysis and Diagnosis

Published on: May 10, 2022

4.7K
Use of a Psychophysiological Script-driven Imagery Experiment to Study Trauma-related Dissociation in Borderline Personality Disorder
09:55

Use of a Psychophysiological Script-driven Imagery Experiment to Study Trauma-related Dissociation in Borderline Personality Disorder

Published on: March 8, 2018

13.3K
Assessing Activity-based Anorexia in Mice
08:26

Assessing Activity-based Anorexia in Mice

Published on: May 14, 2018

13.2K

Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Psychiatry
  • Clinical Psychology

Background:

  • Self-discrepancy theory is relevant to eating disorder (ED) psychopathology.
  • Understanding self-discrepancy across ED types is crucial for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To examine how different types of self-discrepancy relate to anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and binge eating disorder (BED).
  • To investigate the association between self-discrepancy types and ED symptom severity.

Main Methods:

  • 112 individuals with AN, 72 with BN, and 199 with BED completed semi-structured interviews.
  • Interviews assessed specific types of self-discrepancies, including actual:ideal (A:I) and actual:ought (A:O).

Main Results:

  • A:I discrepancy was positively associated with AN.
  • A:O discrepancy was positively associated with BN and BED, and linked to greater purging, binge eating, and overall ED psychopathology.
  • Self-discrepancies did not differentiate BN from BED, but interactions with diagnosis were found for global ED psychopathology and specific symptoms.

Conclusions:

  • Self-discrepancy is a significant factor in the development and maintenance of EDs.
  • Specific types of self-discrepancy are associated with distinct ED diagnoses and symptom severity, highlighting their clinical relevance.