Sociotropy, Body Dissatisfaction and Perceived Social Disapproval in Dieting Women: A Prospective Diathesis-Stress Study of Dysphoria

Abstract

A 4-week prospective study (N = 138), using an expanded version of Beck’s (1983, 1987) cognitive diathesis-stress model, examined the moderating and mediating relationships between personality vulnerability, perceived dieting stress, interpersonal appraisals, and increases in dysphoria among actively dieting university women. Results from regression and path analyses indicated that actively dieting women who were highly sociotropic and who perceived social disapproval reported greater increases in dysphoria. Heightened dysphoria was also related to elevated levels of perceived social disapproval and low levels of dieting success/satisfaction. However, the impact of low dieting success on elevated dysphoria was fully mediated by perceptions of social disapproval. Low dieting success, however, did not significantly interact with cognitive vulnerability as predicted by a cognitive diathesis-stress model. The findings did provide strong evidence for the role of social appraisals in their relation to dysphoria among young women who are vulnerable to body shape/weight-preoccupation and dieting experiences.