Cognitive Biases in Depression and Eating Disorders

Benas, Jessica S.; Gibb, Brandon E.

doi:10.1007/s10608-009-9279-1

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 66 publications

(95 reference statements)

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“…While past self-report studies generally show an inverse association between selfesteem and symptom severity, findings from studies using neurocognitive tasks, specifically an implicit association task which paired self-related words with positive and negative words, are mixed. For example, one study, in undergraduate women, found that negative self-evaluation negatively predicted eating disorder severity (Benas & Gibb, 2011), while a second, in patients with and without an eating disorder, found that only explicit, but not implicit, self-esteem predicted severity (de Jong et al, 2021). The nature of the relationship between self-evaluation and eating disorder symptoms may be such that low selfesteem may predict presence, but not severity, of illness.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Self‐referential processing in anorexia nervosa

Gu,

Aimufua,

Pagliaccio

et al. 2024

Intl J Eating Disorders

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ObjectiveAnorexia nervosa (AN) is a serious psychiatric illness associated with significant medical and psychiatric comorbidity and impairment. Theoretical models of AN and self‐report studies suggest that negative self‐evaluation (i.e., low self‐esteem) is related to the development and maintenance of AN. The goal of this study was to extend findings from self‐report methodology using a neurocognitive task that probes self‐evaluation implicitly and explicitly.MethodWe compared female adolescent and adult patients with AN (n = 35) and healthy controls (HC, n = 38) on explicit (i.e., endorsement of words as self‐relevant), implicit (recall, recognition, reaction time), and composite (i.e., valence index, bias score, drift rates) indices of self‐evaluation. We applied a drift‐diffusion model to compute the drift rates, reflecting participants' decision‐making process as to whether words were self‐relevant. The association between self‐evaluation indices and eating disorder severity was examined.ResultsThere were significant Group × Condition interaction effects for all explicit and implicit measures (all p's ≤ .01), where the AN group endorsed, recalled, and recognized more negative relative to positive words than HC. The AN group had more negative valence index and bias scores, and slower drift rate away from negative words, reflecting more negative self‐evaluation. The finding for recall was attenuated when individuals with depression were excluded. Measures of self‐evaluation bias were not related to eating disorder severity.DiscussionUsing a neurocognitive approach that includes explicit and implicit indices of bias, results suggest that patients with AN have more negative self‐evaluation. Due to the cross‐sectional design, additional studies are needed to further evaluate directionality.Public SignificanceNegative self‐evaluation/low self‐esteem is thought to contribute to eating disorder symptoms. Findings of this study using a neurocognitive task to probe self‐evaluation suggested that individuals with anorexia nervosa have more negative self‐evaluation, reflected by endorsing and remembering more negative (than positive) words compared to healthy controls, and doing so faster. Targeting the construct of negative self‐evaluation in treatment of AN may be warranted.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Self‐referential processing in anorexia nervosa

Gu,

Aimufua,

Pagliaccio

et al. 2024

Intl J Eating Disorders

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“…CBM aims to modify the cognitive biases observed in depression. Due to these biases, patients preferentially attend to and remember more negative information, or interpret ambiguous situations in a more negative way than healthy individuals do (Benas and Gibb, 2009;Reid et al, 2006;Strunk and Adler, 2009). However, depressed patients also lack the positive biases or the preferred processing of positive information that is usually seen in healthy individuals (Mezulis et al, 2004).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Positivity-approach training for depressive symptoms: A randomized controlled trial

Becker

Barth

Smits

et al. 2019

Journal of Affective Disorders

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“…This is important as people with EDs often have high levels of anxiety and depression, and it is theoretically and clinically useful to identify core beliefs particularly characteristic of the ED. In terms of measurement, with the exception of Benas and Gibb [ 11 ], who used computer-based tasks to measure reaction times to specific content, most studies have assessed self-schema in EDs using self-report questionnaires or semi-structured interviews (e.g., [ 10 , 12 , 13 ]). Experimental designs, for example, Markus’s [ 1 ] “Me/Not” paradigm, have not generally been used but may provide a more objective assessment of any biased self-processing relevant to EDs.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Do female dieters have an “eating disorder” self-schema?

Greer

Cooper

2016

J Eat Disord

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BackgroundThe processing of schema-related information is important in the maintenance of specific eating disorder (ED)-related belief systems and psychopathology. To date, most research on differences in the processing of ED schematic information has used interview or self-report questionnaire measures. Dieting is a known risk factor for EDs and dieters have been included in some studies. However, they have not been compared with non-dieters on a novel, objective measure of ED related schema processing.MethodsThe current study recruited healthy female volunteers from the community and divided them into dieting (n = 25) and non-dieting (n = 24) groups using rigorous criteria. ED self-schemas with content unrelated to eating, weight and shape were measured using a self-schema processing task.ResultsDieters endorsed significantly more ED relevant words compared to non-dieters, whereas non-dieters rejected significantly more ED relevant words compared to dieters. Reaction times to endorsements and rejections were non-significant when the two groups were compared. In a surprise recall task, dieters recalled significantly more ED relevant words.ConclusionThe results of this study support the presence of ED self-schemas with negative content unrelated to eating, weight and shape in otherwise healthy dieters. Implications for future research and the early identification of individuals vulnerable to EDs are discussed.

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Cognitive Biases in Depression and Eating Disorders

Cited by 3 publications

References 66 publications

Self‐referential processing in anorexia nervosa

Self‐referential processing in anorexia nervosa

Positivity-approach training for depressive symptoms: A randomized controlled trial

Do female dieters have an “eating disorder” self-schema?

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