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A pilot comparison of purging and non‐purging bulimics
Author(s) -
Grace Pamela S.,
Jacobson Romey S.,
Fullager Clive J.
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
journal of clinical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.124
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1097-4679
pISSN - 0021-9762
DOI - 10.1002/1097-4679(198503)41:2<173::aid-jclp2270410208>3.0.co;2-n
Subject(s) - psychology , personality , locus of control , overweight , anxiety , clinical psychology , developmental psychology , psychiatry , obesity , social psychology , medicine
This study compared (1) purging bulimics (those who terminate binging with self‐induced vomiting and/or excessive use of laxatives), N = 26; (2) non‐purging bulimics, N = 24; and (3) control subjects (in whom no eating problems were apparent), N = 24. These groups were examined empirically on several personality and demographic variables. Additionally, procedures were taken to control for the effects that being overweight may have had on the personality characteristics, which surprisingly has not been undertaken in previous research on bulimia. The comparison of the bulimics (purging and non‐purging bulimics grouped together) with the controls empirically confirmed former clinical observations that have linked bulimics with low self‐esteem, high anxiety, external locus of control, and a high incidence of maternal and family obesity. With regard to the comparison between the purging and non‐purging bulimics, no significant differences between them appeared on any of the dimensions examined here.