Sex-role conflict in women with eating disorders

Abstract

Sex-role conflict has been thought to influence the etiology and course of anorexia nervosa and bulimia in women. The present study used the Bern Sex-Role Inventory and a sex role satisfaction questionnaire to compare sex-role conflict among anorexic, bulimic and control groups. Conflict was defined as the discrepancy between actual and ideally perceived sex-role identity. No significant differences were found among the groups, although all three reported conflict about their sex-role identity. Anorexic and bulimic women thought their sex-role conflict was related to their illness. Support for the feminist hypothesis that bulimic women seek femininity was suggested. Anorexic women presented a much more heterogenous group such that no particular perspective was supported.