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Cognitive avoidance in the strategic processing of ego threats among eating‐disordered patients
Author(s) -
Meyer Caroline,
Serpell Lucy,
Waller Glenn,
Murphy Fay,
Treasure Janet,
Leung Newman
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
international journal of eating disorders
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.785
H-Index - 138
eISSN - 1098-108X
pISSN - 0276-3478
DOI - 10.1002/eat.20147
Subject(s) - psychology , ego depletion , id, ego and super ego , cognition , cognitive psychology , developmental psychology , social psychology , self control , psychiatry
Background This study of strategic processing examined whether it is possible to demonstrate cognitive avoidance of ego threats in women with eating disorders, using a task that involves less automatic identification of threat cues. Method Fifty eating‐disordered (anorexic and bulimic) and 50 comparison women completed a task of strategic processing, assessing their speed of solving neutral, food‐related, and ego threat‐related anagrams. Results Cognitive avoidance of threat‐related information was shown, but only among women with bulimic characteristics. The presence of bulimic behaviors (binging and vomiting) was the clearest factor associated with such avoidance. There was no evidence of avoidance of disorder‐related (food) cues. Discussion Research and therapeutic implications are discussed, including the potential utility of therapies that directly or indirectly address the schema‐level representation of ego threats when working with eating pathology. © 2005 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.