PubMed · 10657894
Dissonance prevention program decreases thin-ideal internalization, body dissatisfaction, dieting, negative affect, and bulimic symptoms: A preliminary experiment.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Because psychoeducational primary prevention programs for eating disorders have met with little success, this preliminary experiment tested a dissonance-based targeted preventive intervention. METHOD: Female undergraduates (N = 30) with elevated body image concerns were assigned to a three-session intervention, wherein they voluntarily argued against the thin ideal, or a delayed-intervention control condition. Participants completed a baseline, termination, and a 1-month follow-up survey. RESULTS: The intervention resulted in a subsequent decrease in thin-ideal internalization, body dissatisfaction, dieting, negative affect, and bulimic symptomatology, with most changes remaining at the 1-month follow-up. DISCUSSION: These preliminary results suggest that this dissonance-based targeted prevention intervention reduces bulimic pathology and known risk factors for eating disturbances, and provide experimental support for the claim that thin-ideal internalization contributes to body dissatisfaction, dieting, negative affect, and bulimic symptoms.
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E Stice, L Mazotti, D Weibel, W S Agras. 2000. Dissonance prevention program decreases thin-ideal internalization, body dissatisfaction, dieting, negative affect, and bulimic symptoms: A preliminary experiment.. https://doi.org/10.1002/(sici)1098-108x(200003)27%3A2%3C206%3A%3Aaid-eat9%3E3.0.co%3B2-d
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