The association between program credibility, expectancy, and acceptability with baseline pathology and outcome for a...

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Clinical Psychology
• Eating Disorder Research

Background:

• Disordered eating pathology is a significant concern among young women.
• The Body Project is a program designed to address disordered eating.
• Understanding factors influencing treatment effectiveness is crucial for clinical practice.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine if disordered eating pathology affects the perceived credibility, expectancy, and acceptability of the Body Project.
• To determine if perceived credibility, expectancy, and acceptability impact treatment outcomes for disordered eating.
• To assess the relationship between participant perceptions and the effectiveness of the Body Project intervention.

Main Methods:

• 170 undergraduate women completed self-report questionnaires assessing disordered eating, credibility, expectancy, and treatment acceptability.
• A subset of 51 participants provided follow-up data at 3 months.
• Statistical analyses were used to investigate associations between variables.

Main Results:

• Higher perceived credibility, expectancy, and acceptability were associated with lower thin-ideal internalization, weight, and shape concerns.
• Positive associations were found between these perceptions and baseline body satisfaction and dietary restraint.
• Perceived credibility, expectancy, and acceptability did not correlate with session attendance or 3-month follow-up disordered eating scores.

Conclusions:

• The Body Project demonstrates effectiveness in reducing disordered eating.
• Treatment outcomes are independent of participants' subjective ratings of the program's credibility, expectancy, or acceptability.
• The intervention's efficacy is robust, even when participants do not express high levels of program liking.