Clarifying Body-Image Disturbance: Analysis of a Multidimensional Model Using Structural Modeling

A multidimensional model of body-image disturbance was tested. The model incorporated the concepts of body-size distortion, preference for thinness, body dissatisfaction, and fear of fatness as predictors of restrictive eating. The LISREL 7 program was used to perform a structural modeling analysis...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of personality assessment 1995-06, Vol.64 (3), p.478-493
Main Authors: Gleaves, David H., Williamson, Donald A., Eberenz, Kathleen P., Sebastian, Shannon B., Barker, Susan E.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult and adolescent clinical studies
Biological and medical sciences
Body image disturbances
Medical sciences
Multidimensional models
Personality disorders
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychopathology. Psychiatry
Structural models
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Summary:A multidimensional model of body-image disturbance was tested. The model incorporated the concepts of body-size distortion, preference for thinness, body dissatisfaction, and fear of fatness as predictors of restrictive eating. The LISREL 7 program was used to perform a structural modeling analysis of the theoretical model. A total of 175 women participated in the study (54 eating-disordered patients and 121 undergraduate students). The results supported the hypothesized four-dimensional model relative to alternative one-, two-, and three-dimensional models. Body dissatisfaction appeared to be directly affected by both body-size distortion and preference for thinness. Fear of fatness was found to be the best predictor of restrictive eating. The results appeared consistent across the clinical and nonclinical samples. These data may help resolve many of the current controversies in the body-image literature. The results also suggested the need to develop more sound assessment instruments for fear of fatness.
ISSN:0022-3891
1532-7752
DOI:10.1207/s15327752jpa6403_7