Examination of the Relationship Between Attentional Biases and Body Dissatisfaction: An Eye-Tracking Study

Abstract

While the presence of cognitive biases among body dissatisfied individuals is supported by the literature, the nuances of these biases have yet to be fully explored. The current study examined attentional processing of body-related stimuli as a function of body dissatisfaction using eye-tracking methodology and a modified spatial cueing paradigm to evaluate early and late stage processing patterns. Undergraduate women (N = 197) completed a decision-making task involving thin, fat, and control body images while eye gaze was recorded. Reaction time analysis did not reveal a relationship between body dissatisfaction and disengagement difficulty from thin or fat body images when compared to control body images. However, analysis of eye gaze patterns revealed a relationship between body dissatisfaction and difficulty shifting visual attention away from thin body images. The findings provide partial support for an attentional bias for thin body images in body dissatisfied individuals. Moreover, the results provide further evidence for eye-tracking methodology as a more sensitive measure of cognitive biases than reaction time. Further examination of the relationship between cognitive biases and body dissatisfaction remains an important area of study as both are risk factors for eating disorders and can inform treatment interventions.