Altering Visual Perception Abnormalities: A Marker for Body Image Concern

Abstract

The body image concern (BIC) continuum ranges from a healthy and positive body image, to clinical diagnoses of abnormal body image, like body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). BDD and non-clinical, yet high-BIC participants have demonstrated a local visual processing bias, characterised by reduced inversion effects. To examine whether this bias is a potential marker of BDD, the visual processing of individuals across the entire BIC continuum was examined. Dysmorphic Concern Questionnaire (DCQ; quantified BIC) scores were expected to correlate with higher discrimination accuracy and faster reaction times of inverted stimuli, indicating reduced inversion effects (occurring due to increased local visual processing). Additionally, an induced global or local processing bias via Navon stimulus presentation was expected to alter these associations. Seventy-four participants completed the DCQ and upright-inverted face and body stimulus discrimination task. Moderate positive associations were revealed between DCQ scores and accuracy rates for inverted face and body stimuli, indicating a graded local bias accompanying increases in BIC. This relationship supports a local processing bias as a marker for BDD, which has significant assessment implications. Furthermore, a moderate negative relationship was found between DCQ score and inverted face accuracy after inducing global processing, indicating the processing bias can temporarily be reversed in high BIC individuals. Navon stimuli were successfully able to alter the visual processing of individuals across the BIC continuum, which has important implications for treating BDD.

A translational neuroscience approach to body image disturbance and its remediation in anorexia nervosa

“…In support of the hypothesis, we indeed found comparable evidence of cortical hypoactivity in the dorsal stream in AN using the same probes as described above. Additionally, in AN eye-gaze search patterns have been found similar to that described in BDD-thus our belief that interrogation of Beilharz, Alkins, Duncum, and Mundy (2016) recently showed that exposure to a Navon figure (a larger recognizable letter formed by copies of smaller letters) after a prompt to focus on the global letter reduced a local processing bias in persons with nonclinical body image concerns. Although not directly examined, the effect is presumed to result from enhancing the visual processing of global (dorsal) inputs.…”

“…Beilharz, Alkins, Duncum, & Mundy (2016) recently showed that exposure to a Navon figure (a larger recognizable letter formed by copies of smaller letters) after a prompt to focus on the global letter reduced a local processing bias in persons with non-clinical body image concerns. Although not directly examined, the effect is presumed to result from enhancing the visual processing of global (dorsal) inputs.…”

Parameters of visual processing abnormalities in adults with body image concerns

“…For example, research focusing on the inversion effect for faces, bodies and scenes has found that undergraduate university students with high BIC are able to discriminate inverted stimuli faster (faces and bodies) and more accurately (bodies and scenes) than those with low BIC [ 6 ]. This weakened inversion effect has been shown to increase simultaneously with BIC, such that, those with greater body dissatisfaction show superior visual processing of inverted stimuli [ 25 ]. Whilst these studies [ 6 , 25 ] identified those with varying levels of BIC in a healthy population using the Dysmorphic Concern Questionnaire (DCQ) [ 26 ], processing abnormalities, in the form of diminished inversion effects, have also been extended to clinical populations of those diagnosed with BDD [ 17 , 27 ].…”

“…This weakened inversion effect has been shown to increase simultaneously with BIC, such that, those with greater body dissatisfaction show superior visual processing of inverted stimuli [ 25 ]. Whilst these studies [ 6 , 25 ] identified those with varying levels of BIC in a healthy population using the Dysmorphic Concern Questionnaire (DCQ) [ 26 ], processing abnormalities, in the form of diminished inversion effects, have also been extended to clinical populations of those diagnosed with BDD [ 17 , 27 ]. Therefore, research has proposed a visual processing abnormality in those who have high BIC and those who have been clinically diagnosed with BDD.…”

“…Several studies [ 6 , 17 , 25 , 27 ] examining perceptual abnormalities have identified the presence of a local processing bias in those with high BIC and/or BDD. It has been proposed that when the inversion occurs and the configuration of the stimulus (e.g.…”