Moderators of the body dissatisfaction-eating disorder symptomatology relationship: Replication and extension.

2008/04/01 by Megan E. Brannan, Trent A. Petrie · 116 citations
Psychology · Social Sciences · #Clinical psychology #Developmental psychology #Eating Disorders and Behaviors #Eating disorders #Extension (predicate logic) #Impact of Technology on Adolescents #Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders #Psychology #Psychotherapist #Replication (statistics)

paper · doi:10.1037/0022-0167.55.2.263

published in Journal of Counseling Psychology 55(2), 263-275 (American Psychological Association)

openalex publication_date 2008/04/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/25

Abstract

In this study, research conducted by T. L. Tylka (2004) was replicated and extended by examining perfectionism (self-oriented and socially prescribed), ego goal orientation, body surveillance, and neuroticism as moderators of the relationship between body dissatisfaction and bulimic and anorexic symptomatology among female undergraduates (N = 398). Hierarchical moderated regression was used to test the main and interactive effects of the models and to control for physical size and social desirability. As expected, body dissatisfaction was strongly related to the measures of disordered eating, accounting for 16% to 26% of the variance. Two variables (neuroticism and body surveillance) received support as moderators of the relationships between body dissatisfaction and bulimic and anorexic symptoms. Ego goal orientation and socially prescribed perfectionism moderated the effects of body dissatisfaction on bulimic symptoms, whereas self-oriented perfectionism served as a moderator only for anorexic symptoms. In all instances, higher levels of body dissatisfaction paired with higher levels of the moderator were associated with more disturbed eating.

Cited by

• Self-esteem as a mediator between personality traits and body esteem: path analyses across gender and race/ethnicity. [europepmc]
• An examination of risk factors that moderate the body dissatisfaction-eating pathology relationship among New Zealand adolescent girls. [europepmc]
• Are explicit and implicit affective attitudes toward different body shape categories related to the own body-satisfaction in young women? The role of mindfulness, self-compassion and social media activity. [europepmc]
• The Use of Social Media as a Persuasive Platform to Facilitate Nutrition and Health Behavior Change in Young Adults: Web-Based Conversation Study. [europepmc]
• Diversity of Binge-Eating Disorder Symptoms Is Associated with Anxiety about Getting Fat Rather Than Body Image: A Clinical Study of Women in Poland. [europepmc]
• The Moderating Effect of Suggestibility on the Relationship between Body Mass Index and Body Dissatisfaction in Women. [europepmc]
• The Role of Body Image Perception on a Continuum from Dysfunctional to Healthy Eating Attitudes and Behaviors Among People Seeking Treatment. [europepmc]

Related

• A meta‐analysis of the relationships between body checking, body image avoidance, body image dissatisfaction, mood, and disordered eating
• Self‐oriented perfectionism in eating disorders
• Eating Disorders, Perfectionism, and Quality of Life
• Investigating differences in cognitive flexibility, clinical perfectionism, and eating disorder-specific rumination across anorexia nervosa illness states
• The distinct role of body image aspects in predicting eating disorder onset in adolescents after one year.