Clare Farrell | PubMed Health

PubMed2003

Body size estimation: testing a new mirror-based assessment method.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the current study was to compare a new ecologically valid method of body size estimation with an existing, commonly used method. METHOD: The new method uses a "mirror-sized" image and measures perception rather than memory of body size. Fifty-five healthy women participated in the study. RESULTS: Body size estimations with the new method were significantly larger than with the existing method (p <.001). This difference was specific to body size and was not seen for estimation of neutral images. DISCUSSION: The results of the study show that different body size estimations are made with the new more ecologically valid method compared with the existing method. This finding has important implications for research into the factors influencing the perception of body size.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

The efficacy of a Pennebaker-like writing intervention for poor sleepers.

Patients with insomnia commonly complain that they are unable to get to sleep because of unwanted thoughts and worries. One account given of this excess cognitive activity is that it results from the incomplete processing of daytime stressors and hassles. Previous research has demonstrated the benefits of writing about emotional experiences as a method to facilitate emotional processing. This pilot study tested the hypothesis that writing about worries and concerns, with an emphasis on the expression and processing of emotion, will reduce sleep onset latency among an analogue sample of poor sleepers. Forty-two poor sleepers were randomly allocated to 1 of 3 groups for 3 nights; the instructions for the "problems" writing group emphasized the expression and processing of worries and concerns, the instructions for the "hobbies" writing group emphasized distraction from worries and concerns by writing about hobbies and interests, the "no writing" group were not given a writing task. The "problems" writing group reported shorter sleep onset latency compared to the "no writing" group. The results of this pilot study highlight the potential of research exploring the utility of a Pennebaker-style writing intervention for improving sleep.

Adult↗