Dissonance-based Eating Disorder Prevention Research Articles

Effects of a cognitive dissonance‐based eating disorder prevention program are similar for Asian American, Hispanic, and White participants

This study explored the effects of participating in a dissonance-based eating disorder prevention program on changes in thin ideal internalization, body dissatisfaction, and eating symptoms among White, Asian American, and Hispanic participants. Participants were (n = 394), 13 to 20-year-old adolescent girls and young women who reported being White (n = 311), Hispanic/Latina (n = 61), or Asian-American/Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (n = 33). The current study used data drawn from the pre- and post assessments of an efficacy trial and an effectiveness trial of this eating disorder prevention program. The intervention reduced disordered eating behaviors and eating disorder risk factors for all three ethnic groups at post-intervention assessment; there was no evidence of significantly stronger effects in any particular ethnic group. Results suggest that a cognitive dissonance-based prevention program for eating disorders may be equally effective for Asian American, Hispanic, and White adolescent women.

Dissonance-based eating disorder prevention program: A preliminary dismantling investigation

A dissonance-based program aimed at reducing thin-ideal internalization has been found to significantly decrease levels of bulimic symptoms in young adult and adolescent females. Because this program is multifaceted, containing psychoeducation, counterattitudinal advocacy, and behavioral exposure components, the current study sought to investigate the mechanisms involved in symptom reduction. The current study compared the original treatment program with a dismantled version of the full package, which consisted solely of the specific dissonance component (i.e., the counterattitudinal advocacy procedure). Seventy-eight women were randomly assigned to either the full treatment condition or the counterattitudinal advocacy condition. Findings suggest that both interventions significantly reduced established risk factors for eating pathology as well as bulimic symptoms at termination and at 1-month follow-up. Both treatments appear to be equally effective at reducing eating pathology in at-risk college women. Limitations of the study are discussed, and directions for future research are offered.

Eating Disorder Prevention: An Experimental Comparison of High Level Dissonance, Low Level Dissonance, and No-Treatment Control

The purpose of this experiment was to provide an empirical comparison of two dissonance-based eating disorder prevention paradigms and a no-treatment control condition. Asymptomatic and symptomatic participants (N = 155) were randomly assigned to one of three experimental conditions: high level dissonance, low level dissonance, or no-treatment control. Group × symptomatic status interactions, main effects, and pairwise comparisons were examined to assess differences in eating disorder attitudes and behaviors at postintervention and 4-week follow-up. Participants in the high level condition displayed fewer eating disorder attitudes and behaviors compared to participants in the low level condition at postintervention. Eating disorder attitudes and behaviors were not significantly lower among participants in either intervention condition compared to no-treatment control participants.