Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-ndw9j Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-04T21:07:48.563Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Acceptance and Body Dissatisfaction: Examining the Efficacy of a Brief Acceptance Based Intervention for Body Dissatisfaction in College Women

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 March 2016

Susan E. Margolis  and
Susan M. Orsillo
Susan E. Margolis*
Affiliation:
Suffolk University, Boston, USA
Susan M. Orsillo
Affiliation:
Suffolk University, Boston, USA
*
Correspondence to Susan E. Margolis, Suffolk University, Department of Psychology, 8 Ashburton Place, Boston, MA 02108, USA. E-mail: [email protected]
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background: Body dissatisfaction among college women is concerning given its high prevalence and associated negative consequences. While cognitive-behavioral approaches to reducing body dissatisfaction have considerable support, it may be beneficial to target the problematic relationship that some individuals have with their internal experiences. Aims: To examine the relative efficacy of an acceptance-based compared to a cognitive restructuring approach to targeting body dissatisfaction. Method: College women were randomly assigned to an acceptance (n = 21), cognitive restructuring (n = 21) or a neutral comparison condition (n = 24). Participants completed a body dissatisfaction challenge postintervention and their dissatisfaction, distress about body-related thoughts and emotions, and the extent they felt defined by their outward appearance were measured. Results: Both approaches provided a protective effect against decreases in body satisfaction and related feelings. Conclusion: Acceptance and CBT approaches to treating body dissatisfaction are worthy of future investigation.

Keywords

Acceptance-based behavior therapybody dissatisfaction in college womenbrief intervention
Type
Research Article
Information
Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy , Volume 44 , Issue 4 , July 2016 , pp. 482 - 492
Copyright
Copyright © British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies 2016 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Arch, J. J., Eifert, G. H., Davies, C., Vilardaga, J. C., Rose, R. D. and Craske, M. G. (2012). Randomized clinical trial of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) versus acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) for mixed anxiety disorders. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 80, 750–765.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Atkinson, M. J. and Wade, T. D. (2012). Impact of metacognitive acceptance on body dissatisfaction and negative affect: engagement and efficacy. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 80, 416–425.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Baer, R. A., Fischer, S. and Huss, D. (2005). Mindfulness and acceptance in the treatment of disordered eating. Journal of Rational-Emotive and Cognitive-Behavior Therapy, 23, 281–300.Google Scholar
Basow, S. A., Foran, K. A. and Bookwala, J. (2007). Body objectification, social pressure, and disordered eating behavior in college women: the role of sorority membership. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 31, 394–400.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Calogero, R. M. and Thompson, J. K. (2010). Gender and body image. In Chrisler, J. C. and McCreary, D. R. (Eds.), Handbook of Gender Research in Psychology, Vol 2: Gender research in social and applied psychology. (pp. 153–184). New York: Springer Science + Business Media.Google Scholar
Cash, T. F. (1990). The psychology of physical appearance: aesthetics, attributes, and images. In Cash, T. F. and Pruzinsky, T. (Eds.), Body Images: development, deviance, and change. (pp. 51–79). New York: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Cash, T. F. and Brown, T. A. (1989). Gender and body images: stereotypes and realities. Sex Roles, 21 (5–6), 361–373.Google Scholar
Cash, T. F. and Hrabosky, J. I. (2003). The effects of psychoeducation and self-monitoring in a cognitive-behavioral program for body-image improvement. Eating Disorders: The Journal of Treatment and Prevention, 11, 255–270.Google Scholar
De Berardis, D., Carano, A., Gambi, F., Campanella, D., Giannetti, P., Ceci, A., et al. (2007). Alexithymia and its relationships with body checking and body image in a non-clinical female sample. Eating Behaviors, 8, 296–304.Google Scholar
Delinsky, S. S. and Wilson, G. T. (2006). Mirror exposure for the treatment of body image disturbance. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 39, 108–116.Google Scholar
Dworkin, S. H. and Kerr, B. A. (1987). Comparison of interventions for women experiencing body image problems. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 34, 136–140.Google Scholar
Farrell, C., Shafran, R., Lee, M. and Fairburn, C. G. (2005). Testing a brief cognitive-behavioural intervention to improve extreme shape concern: a case series. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 33, 189–200.Google Scholar
Fisher, E. and Thompson, J. K. (1994). A comparative evaluation of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) versus exercise therapy (ET) for the treatment of body image disturbance: preliminary findings. Behavior Modification, 18, 171–185.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Forman, E. M., Hoffman, K. L., McGrath, K. B., Herbert, J. D., Brandsma, L. L. and Lowe, M. R. (2007). A comparison of acceptance- and control-based strategies for coping with food cravings: an analog study. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 45, 2372–2386.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Garner, D. M., Olmstead, M. P. and Polivy, J. (1983). Development and validation of a multidimensional eating disorder inventory for anorexia nervosa and bulimia. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 2, 15–34.Google Scholar
Gordon, K. H., Castro, Y., Sitnikov, L. and Holm-Denoma, J. M. (2010). Cultural body shape ideals and eating disorder symptoms among White, Latina, and Black college women. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 16, 135–143.Google Scholar
Grant, J. R. and Cash, T. F. (1995). Cognitive-behavioral body image therapy: comparative efficacy of group and modest-contrast treatments. Behavior Therapy, 26, 69–84.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Groesz, L. M., Levine, M. P. and Murnen, S. K. (2002). The effect of experimental presentation of thin media images on body satisfaction: a meta-analytic review. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 31, 1–16.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hayes, S. C., Strosahl, K. D. and Wilson, K. G. (1999). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: an experiential approach to behavior change. New York: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Kabat-Zinn, J. (1984). An outpatient program in behavioral medicine for chronic pain patients based on the practice of mindfulness meditation: theoretical considerations and preliminary results. ReVISION, 7, 71–72.Google Scholar
Kostanski, M., Fisher, A. and Gullone, E. (2004). Current conceptualization of body image dissatisfaction: have we got it wrong? Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 45, 1317–1325.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kristeller, J. L., Baer, R. A. and Quillian-Wolever, R. (2006). Mindfulness-based approaches to eating disorders. In Baer, R. A. (Ed.), Mindfulness-Based Treatment Approaches: clinician's guide to evidence base and applications. (pp. 75–91). San Diego, CA: Elsevier Academic Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lavender, J. M., Jardin, B. F. and Anderson, D. A. (2009). Bulimic symptoms in undergraduate men and women: contributions of mindfulness and thought suppression. Eating Behaviors, 10, 228–231.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Low, K. G., Charanasomboon, S., Brown, C., Hiltunen, G., Long, K., Reinhalter, K., et al. (2003). Internalization of the thin ideal, weight and body image concerns. Social Behavior and Personality, 31, 81–90.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Masuda, A. and Wendell, J. W. (2010). Mindfulness mediates the relation between disordered eating-related cognitions and psychological distress. Eating Behaviors, 11, 293–296.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Neighbors, L. A. and Sobal, J. (2007). Prevalence and magnitude of body weight and shape dissatisfaction among university students. Eating Behaviors, 8, 429–439.Google Scholar
Nicolino, J. C., Martz, D. M. and Curtin, L. (2001). Evaluation of a cognitive-behavioral therapy intervention to improve body image and decrease dieting in college women. Eating Behaviors, 2, 353–362.Google Scholar
Pearson, A., Heffner, M. and Follette, V. (2010). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Body Image Dissatisfaction: a practitioner's guide to using mindfulness, acceptance, and values-based behavior change strategies. Oakland: New Harbinger Publications, Inc.Google Scholar
Raudenbush, B. and Zellner, D. A. (1997). Nobody's satisfied: effects of abnormal eating behaviors and actual and perceived weight status on body image satisfaction in males and females. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 16, 95–110.Google Scholar
Rawal, A., Park, R. J. and Williams, J. M. G. (2010). Rumination, experiential avoidance, and dysfunctional thinking in eating disorders. [doi: 10.1016/j.brat.2010.05.009]. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 48, 851–859.Google Scholar
Ridout, N., Thom, C. and Wallis, D. J. (2010). Emotion recognition and alexithymia in females with non-clinical disordered eating. Eating Behaviors, 11, 1–5.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rodin, J., Silberstein, L. and Striegel-Moore, R. (1984). Women and weight: a normative discontent. Nebraska Symposium on Motivation, 32, 267–307.Google Scholar
Rosen, J. C., Saltzberg, E. and Srebnik, D. (1989). Cognitive behavior therapy for negative body image. Behavior Therapy, 20, 393–404.Google Scholar
Stice, E., Mazotti, L., Weibel, D. and Agras, W. (2000). Dissonance prevention program decreases thin-ideal internalization, body dissatisfaction, dieting, negative affect, and bulimic symptoms: a preliminary experiment. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 27, 206–217.3.0.CO;2-D>CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stice, E. and Shaw, H. E. (2002). Role of body dissatisfaction in the onset and maintenance of eating pathology: a synthesis of research findings. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 53, 985–993.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Strachan, M. D. and Cash, T. F. (2002). Self-help for a negative body image: a comparison of components of a cognitive-behavioral program. Behavior Therapy, 33, 235–251.Google Scholar
Tabachnick, B. G. and Fidell, L. S. (2001). Using Multivariate Statistics (4th ed.). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon.Google Scholar
van Strien, T. and Ouwens, M. A. (2007). Effects of distress, alexithymia and impulsivity on eating. Eating Behaviors, 8, 251–257.Google Scholar
Wade, T., George, W. M. and Atkinson, M. (2009). A randomized controlled trial of brief interventions for body dissatisfaction. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 77, 845–854.Google Scholar
Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.