Development of the Mizes Anorectic Cognitions questionnaire-revised: Psychometric properties and factor structure in a large sample of eating disorder patients

Abstract

Objective This project was designed to develop and test the psychometric properties and factor structure of a revision of the Mizes Anorectic Cognitions questionnaire (MAC). The goals of the revision were to improve the reliability and discriminant validity of the Weight and Approval subscale and to equalize the length of the three subscales. Also, the study compared the original MAC and the MAC‐R in terms of their psychometric properties. Method Twenty‐four new items were developed for potential inclusion in the MAC‐R, in addition to the original 33 items of the MAC. These items were administered to 205 eating disorder patients from five eating disorder clinics or programs, including inpatient, outpatient, and residential treatment settings that served diverse patient populations. Additionally, other measures of eating disorder constructs were administered to assess construct validity. Results Factor analysis of the large pool of items and item reduction resulted in the final 24‐item MAC‐R, each subscale being eight items in length. Results showed that the MAC‐R highly correlated with the MAC and other eating disorder questionnaires. Reliability of the MAC‐R was improved over that of the MAC. Two subscales of the MAC‐R discriminated among diagnostic groups, whereas the original MAC did not, indicating improved sensitivity of the revised scale. Discussion The MAC‐R appears to be an improvement over the original MAC. It provides useful information on the cognitions of eating‐disordered patients and merits further investigation into its psychometric properties. © 2000 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 28: 415–421, 2000.

Mindfulness mediates the relation between disordered eating-related cognitions and psychological distress

“…In a previous study with clinical samples of various eating disorders (Mizes et al, 2000), an alpha coefficient for the MAC-R total was .90.…”

“…The Mizes Anorectic Cognitions Questionnaire-Revised (MAC-R; Mizes et al, 2000) is a 24-item self-report questionnaire designed to assess distorted cognitions related to all eating disorders. These cognitions are the fear of weight gain (e.g., "If I don't establish a daily routine, everything will be chaotic, and I won't accomplish anything"), the importance of being thin or attractive to be socially accepted ("No one likes fat people; therefore, I must remain thin to be liked by others"), and self-esteem based on controlled eating habits and weight gain ("If my weight goes up, my self-esteem goes down").…”

“…These cognitions include, but are not limited to, perceived importance of having an ideal weight and shape as a means of achieving self-acceptance, self-control over diet and weight, and acceptance by others (Cooper, Cohen-Tovee, Todd, Wells, & Tovee, 1997;Fairburn, 2008;Mizes et al, 2000). In both clinical and non-clinical samples, research has shown that these cognitions are associated not only with symptoms of eating disorders (EDs), but also with negative psychological outcomes non-specific to EDs, such as functional impairment and general psychological ill-health (Bohn et al, 2008;Masuda, Price, Anderson, & Wendell, 2010;Stice, Killen, Hayward, & Taylor, 1998).…”

Obesity and the four facets of impulsivity

“…The Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) [27] and the Mizes Anorectic Cognitions Questionnaire (MAC-24) [28,29] were used to explore eating disorder symptoms and eating-disorder-related dysfunctional cognitions. The UPPS Impulsive Behavior Scale consists of 45 items that evaluate four different facets of impulsivity, labeled Urgency (12 items, e.g., ''I have trouble controlling my impulses''), lack of Premeditation (11 items, e.g., ''Before I get into a new situation I like to find out what to expect from it''), lack of Perseverance (10 items, e.g., ''I finish what I start''), and Sensation Seeking (12 items, e.g., ''I generally seek new and exciting experiences and sensations'').…”

Psychological flexibility and self-concealment as predictors of disordered eating symptoms

“…As mentioned above, this set of findings can be attributable to the qualitatively unique nature of oral control. In particular, contrary to other facets of DE symptoms (diet, bulimia/food preoccupation), which are likely to be negatively reinforced (Lillis, Hayes, & Levin, 2011;Rawal et al, 2010), oral control may function differently across individuals (Mizes et al, 2000;Slade, 1982). While oral control may be negatively reinforced in some individuals, it may be positively reinforced in others.…”