Latent Structure of Eating Disorder Symptoms: A Factor Analytic and Taxometric Investigation

Williamson, Donald A.; Womble, Leslie G.; Smeets, Monique A. M.; Netemeyer, Richard G.; Thaw, Jean M.; Kutlesic, Vesna; Gleaves, David H.

doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.159.3.412

Cited by 113 publications

(136 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…The factor analytic results reported by Williamson et al, 4 described the binge eating taxon as having features that match the clinical description of binge eating that is provided in DSM-IV. In the 2005 article, 3 we suggested that the binge eating taxon was qualitatively different from simple overeating and that some people were highly susceptible to the development of binge eating.…”

Section: Characteristics Of Binge Eatingmentioning

confidence: 88%

“…The factor analytic and taxometric investigation reported by Williamson et al, 4 found the presence of a binge eating factor and evidence for a latent taxon associated with this binge eating factor. In the context of the other taxometric studies of eating disorders, Williamson et al 3 concluded that the most parsimonious interpretation of these findings was that binge eating (not the DSM-defined syndromes of bulimia nervosa or binge eating disorder) appeared to be a latent taxon that is discontinuous with normal eating.…”

Section: S72mentioning

confidence: 92%

“…The fact that binge eating has also been identified as a latent taxon in taxometric studies suggests that this behavioral feature is very important for understanding how eating disorders (as defined by DSM-IV) are related and how they can be distinguished. Williamson et al 4 concluded that it is possible that two of the three dimensions found in their dataset, i.e., fear of fatness/compensatory behavior and drive for thinness, were correlated. This higher order factor might reflect a dimension that is simi- …”

Section: Factor Analytic Studies Of Eating Disorder Symptomsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Does the evidence point to a binge eating phenotype?: Comment on Gordon et al. (2007) and Wonderlich et al. (2007)

Williamson

2007

Int. J. Eat. Disord.

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The article by Gordon et al. 1 presents a very understandable description of taxometric analyses. These writers are to be commended for taking this complex topic and making it comprehensible to those who are not experts in the field of taxometrics and classification research. Gordon et al. 1 conclude that the results of taxometric studies suggest the existence of three diagnostic groups, bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa, restricting type, and binge eating disorder. They recommend conceptualizing bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder as categorical classes, but conceptualize anorexia nervosa as a dimensional or continuous entity. Wonderlich et al. 2 take a step back from the esoteric specifics of classification research and note that conclusions about the validity of any classification scheme will necessarily involve a series of value laden decisions.Both articles 1,2 report on recent scientific findings related to the validity of classification schemes of eating disorders. Wonderlich et al. suggest a comprehensive research strategy for validating eating disorder classification models. Both articles 1,2 observe that eating disorders involving binge eating can be conceptualized as qualitatively distinct types or classes and they conclude that psychopathological and personality features other than frank eating disorder symptoms, e.g., concern with body size/shape, binge eating, purging, and restrictive eating, are important aspects of eating disorder diagnoses. Factor Analytic Studies of Eating Disorder SymptomsEight factor analytic studies of eating disorder symptoms 3 have yielded findings that are relevant to the conclusions of the Gordon and Wonderlich articles. All of the factor analytic studies that included measures of ''general psychopathology'' found a very strong and stable factor that reflected personality characteristics and ''neurotic'' symptoms, e.g., mood disturbances, anxiety, obsessive thinking. The factor analytic solutions indicated that this ''general psychopathology'' factor was separate and distinct from other factors that reflected symptoms generally regarded as specific to eating disorders, e.g., binge eating, restrictive eating, fear of fatness, and drive for thinness. These findings suggest that a diagnostic model that only specifies personality characteristics, e.g., the model of Figure 1d in the Wonderlich article, would be inadequate to capture a complete set of relevant features of the eating disorders. The results also suggest that classification models that ignore personality and general psychopathology features of eating disorders, e.g., the models of Figures 1a, 1b, and 1c, will also be inadequate. In my view, the personality features of eating disorders can be viewed as conditions that sometimes accompany the more specific behavioral and attitudinal features of eating disorders. A second consistent finding of the factor analytic studies was the presence of a strong and stable binge eating/bulimic behaviors factor. The fact that binge eating has also been identified as a late...

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Section: Characteristics Of Binge Eatingmentioning

confidence: 88%

Section: S72mentioning

confidence: 92%

Section: Factor Analytic Studies Of Eating Disorder Symptomsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Does the evidence point to a binge eating phenotype?: Comment on Gordon et al. (2007) and Wonderlich et al. (2007)

Williamson

2007

Int. J. Eat. Disord.

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“…To summarize, three of the four taxometric studies [11][12][13] found that BN is taxonic in nature, which suggests that it is qualitatively different from normal eating. So far, the AN, restricting type does not appear to be taxonic in nature when compared to normal eating, though this result is in need of replication.…”

Section: A Review Of the Literaturementioning

confidence: 98%

“…Another study on the latent structure of BN was examined in a mixed sample of undergraduates and participants recruited from an eating disorder clinic, and the findings provided further evidence that BN was best conceptualized as a taxon. 12 It is worth noting that only one taxometrics study specifically measured the criteria of all eating disorders based on the DSM-IV 1 through structured clinical interview, 13 while all of the other studies reported here used self-report questionnaires that are not specific to the DSM-IV criteria. The study included a clinical sample diagnosed with eating disorders (BN, AN, EDNOS, and binge eating disorder; BED), nonclinical undergraduates, and obese participants.…”

Section: A Review Of the Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

Taxometric analysis: Introduction and overview

Gordon

Holm‐Denoma

Smith

et al. 2007

Int. J. Eat. Disord.

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Objective: The purpose of this article is to provide an introduction to taxometric procedures, and a set of mathematical tools utilized to examine the latent structure of constructs as they occur in nature (i.e., categorical versus dimensional).Method: Taxometric procedures have the potential to inform the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) conceptualization of eating disorders, and provide unique information about the construct validity of the current diagnostic scheme. Existing empirical studies which utilize taxometric procedures are reviewed, and the current DSM diagnostic categories are evaluated in terms of how well they square with empirical findings.Conclusion: Finally, the implications of the taxometrics literature for future DSM classification of eating disorders, as well as guidelines for future areas of research, are discussed. V V C 2007 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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Application of a Latent Class Analysis to Empirically Define EatingDisorder Phenotypes

Keel¹,

Fichter²,

Quadflieg³

et al. 2004

Arch Gen Psychiatry

167

154

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The presence of obsessive-compulsive features differentiates among individuals with restricting AN. Similarly, the combination of low weight and multiple methods of purging distinguishes among individuals with binge eating and purging behaviors. These results support some of the distinctions drawn within the DSM-IV-TR among eating disorder subtypes, while introducing new features to define phenotypes.

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Latent Structure of Eating Disorder Symptoms: A Factor Analytic and Taxometric Investigation

Abstract: The eating disorders, as defined by DSM-IV, can be conceptualized as having three latent features. Taxometric tests found empirical support for conceptualizing bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder as discrete syndromes.

Cited by 113 publications

References 15 publications

Does the evidence point to a binge eating phenotype?: Comment on Gordon et al. (2007) and Wonderlich et al. (2007)

Does the evidence point to a binge eating phenotype?: Comment on Gordon et al. (2007) and Wonderlich et al. (2007)

Taxometric analysis: Introduction and overview

Application of a Latent Class Analysis to Empirically Define EatingDisorder Phenotypes

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