The Possible Selves of Adult Women With Anorexia Nervosa

Abstract

Adopting the construct of possible selves, which are conceptions of our selves in future situations, the objective of this study was to investigate how anorexia patients differ from a non-clinical control group in their conceptions of the future on qualitative content, and the four quantitative dimensions positive and negative emotional valence, and beliefs about probability and controllability. The Possible Selves Statements Test was employed. Participants presented 14 possible selves by completing the question "I can see myself …" and rating each possible self on the 4 dimensions. The patients reported a larger number of negative possible selves, with higher negative valence, often seeing future everyday situations as negative, whereas the control group saw similar situations as positive. The anorexia patients also reported negative possible selves with high controllability and high probability in relation to such situations and in some cases rated recovery from anorexia with a negative valence. Clinical implications are discussed.

Severe and Enduring Anorexia Nervosa (SEED‐AN): A Qualitative Study of Patients with 20+ Years of Anorexia Nervosa

“…Our participants' preoccupation with time may be a feature of AN with a longer history, and this requires further study. A negative view of the future, expressed by some of our participants, has been noted (Erikson, Hansson, & Lundblad, ; Sternheim et al, ), and a wish for the relief of social isolation was found in letters requesting inpatient care at an Eating Disorders Unit (Gorse, Nordon, Rouillon, Pham‐Scottez, & Revah‐Levy, ). The harshness with which our participants judged themselves and restricted any potentially pleasurable activity is consistent with previous studies (Sternheim et al, ; Tierney & Fox, ).…”

Intrapersonal, interpersonal, and physical space in anorexia nervosa: a virtual reality and repertory grid investigation

“…However, it remains unclear how egocentric and allocentric spatial processing are related to the individual's perception of the self and others, and this will be the focus of the current study, which will adopt a multidimensional approach and draw upon personal construct theory (PCT) (Kelly, 1955). From this theoretical perspective, EDs are viewed as "strategies" for dealing with the developmental issues characterizing interpersonal relationships and the formation of identity (Button, 1993;Erikson et al, 2012). Kelly (1955) considered individuals as scientists involved in the anticipation of their worlds through the formulation and testing out of hypotheses, or constructions of events, and revision of these if they are invalidated (Winter and Button, 2010).…”

Fear of self in eating disorders

“…Differences in the experience of possible selves have been observed in individuals with eating pathology as compared to healthy control participants. For example, the possible selves described by participants with AN have been found to be more negative than those reported by healthy control participants (Erikson, Hansson, & Lundblad, 2012). Another study by the same research group demonstrated that women with EDs rate 'desirable' possible selves more negatively as compared to healthy control participants (Erikson, Hansson, & Lundblad, 2014).…”

“…These studies support the role of vulnerable self-identity in EDs in that they suggest a link between difficulties in identity formation and these disorders. Identity disturbance coupled with unconditional negative representations of the self (Cooper, 1997;Erikson, Hansson, & Lundblad, 2012;Waller et al, 2003;Waller, Ohanian, Meyer, & Osman, 2000), may reflect susceptibility for investment in a feared self.…”