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Theory of mind in bulimia nervosa
Author(s) -
Kenyon Martha,
Samarawickrema Nelum,
DeJong Hannah,
Van den Eynde Frederique,
Startup Helen,
Lavender Anna,
GoodmanSmith Emily,
Schmidt Ulrike
Publication year - 2012
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.20967
Subject(s) - bulimia nervosa , psychology , anorexia nervosa , eating disorders , theory of mind , psychopathology , reading (process) , interpersonal communication , cognition , developmental psychology , social cognition , clinical psychology , psychiatry , social psychology , political science , law
Objective: This study aimed to investigate theory of mind (ToM) in individuals with bulimia nervosa (BN), an area neglected by empirical research despite social functioning difficulties in this disorder and evidence of ToM deficits in people with anorexia nervosa (AN). Method: ToM was assessed in 48 BN and 34 Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified BN‐type (EDNOS‐BN) outpatients and 57 healthy controls (HCs) using the Reading the Mind in the Eyes and the Reading the Mind in the Films (RMF), an ecologically valid task novel to BN research. Results: Overall performance in BN and EDNOS‐BN groups was equivalent to HCs on both tasks. Individuals with BN had enhanced negative emotion recognition on the RMF. Discussion: Individuals with AN and BN have distinct socio‐cognitive profiles. Further research into social cognition is required to establish the link between interpersonal difficulties and psychopathology in people with BN. © 2011 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Int J Eat Disord 2012)