Body-dissatisfaction Clinical Trial
Official title:
Does a Cognitive Dissonance-Based Eating Disorder Prevention Intervention Reduce Attentional Biases in Body-Dissatisfied Women?
The purpose of this study is to assess a cognitive dissonance-based eating disorder prevention intervention program on its ability to reduce attentional biases in body-dissatisfied women.
Eating disorders are some of the most prevalent psychiatric disorders affecting women in
Westernized cultures, and are associated with a range of medical complications; in severe
cases, eating disorders can lead to death. Unfortunately, a large proportion of individuals
with eating disorders do not receive treatment, and of those who do receive treatment, only
approximately 40-50% of clients are symptom-free at the end of treatment. In addition to
limited efficacy, existing treatments can be time-consuming and costly. From both public
health and humanitarian perspectives it is best to prevent eating disorders prior to their
emergence.
This study will use a randomized, controlled design to investigate the effects of a cognitive
dissonance-based intervention on attentional biases for weight words in body-dissatisfied
women. Cognitive dissonance is thought to occur when there is a discrepancy between one's
beliefs or attitudes, and behaviour. The experience of dissonance is thought to create
discomfort, and resultantly individuals change their beliefs to be in line with their
behaviours. Thus, the core tenet of cognitive dissonance-based interventions is the concept
of engaging participants in counter-attitudinal behaviours (e.g., speaking out against the
thin ideal) to enact change through cognitive dissonance. This cognitive dissonance-based
intervention (The Body Project) targets body dissatisfaction, thin-ideal internalization, and
eating disorder symptoms.
Almost all research on the Body Project has assessed its efficacy via self-report, however,
this study will use an eye-tracker to measure the gaze. Attentional biases are less
susceptible to self-reporting biases than traditional pencil-and-paper questionnaires and so
are a more reliable measure of cognitive processing The participants in this study will be
placed into one of three different conditions: cognitive dissonance (CD), media
psychoeducation (MP), or waitlist control (WL), and a similar number of women will be
allocated to the body-satisfied (BS) condition. Both the CD and MP intervention groups will
consist of two approximately 2-hour sessions scheduled one week apart, as well as a 30-minute
online follow-up questionnaire 1 month after the second intervention/assessment session.
Individuals allocated to WL will begin to receive the intervention approximately 5 weeks
after the CD and MP groups (after their 1 month follow-up survey). The BS group will consist
of two approximately 35- to 40-minute assessment-only sessions scheduled one week apart.
All groups of participants will full out several self-report questionnaire as well as
participate in a brief eye-tracking assessment both before and after their allocated
intervention group (the BS condition and waitlist control will only complete the
questionnaires and eye tracking assessment). Participants will sign up for a group time slot,
and the group time slots will be randomly assigned to be given either the CD, and MP, or the
WL condition.
Participants will be recruited through the University of Calgary Department of Psychology
Research Participation System (RPS) as well as campus community participants recruited
through campus advertisements. Potential participants will be pre-screened for the presence
of body dissatisfaction (or body satisfaction for the BS assessment only group).
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