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Sociotropy, autonomy, and bulimic symptomatology
1Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8205, USA.
The International Journal of Eating Disorders
|April 30, 1998
Summary
Sociotropy, reflecting a need for approval, is uniquely linked to bulimia nervosa symptoms, while autonomy is not. This highlights the importance of acceptance and approval themes in understanding bulimia nervosa.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- The cognitive-behavioral model of bulimia nervosa posits that maladaptive cognitions contribute to its development and maintenance.
- Sociotropy (themes of acceptance/approval) and autonomy (themes of independence/achievement) are key cognitive-personality styles.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the relationship between bulimic symptomatology and sociotropy and autonomy.
- To determine the specificity of these cognitive-personality styles in relation to bulimic versus depressive symptoms.
Main Methods:
- 105 undergraduate women completed self-report measures.
- Assessed were levels of sociotropy, autonomy, bulimic symptomatology, and depressive symptomatology.
Main Results:
- Both sociotropy and autonomy showed associations with bulimic symptomatology.
- Sociotropy uniquely predicted bulimic symptoms when depressive symptoms were controlled.
Conclusions:
- Themes of acceptance and approval (sociotropy) may be significant cognitive-personality factors in bulimia nervosa.
- Autonomy was not uniquely associated with bulimia nervosa symptoms in this study.