SEX-ROLE CONFLICT, SOCIAL DESIRABILITY, AND EATING-DISORDER ATTITUDESAND BEHAVIORS

The relationship of conflict between sex role ideology and sex role or ientation with eating-disorder behaviors and attitudes was examined. A merican participants were 321 female college students who completed th e Bem Sex Role Inventory (Bem, 1974), Sex Role Ideology Scale (Kalin & Tilby, 1978), and Eating Disorders Inventory (EDI; Garner, Olmsted, & Polivy, 1983). The results indicated that conflict between ideology a nd self-perception had little effect on responses to the Inventory. In stead, students with higher levels of self-rated social desirability a nd lower levels of masculinity reported higher prevalence of eating-di sorder behaviors and attitudes. Analyses of sex role orientation data revealed that participants categorized as undifferentiated had the mos t pathological responses to the EDI. Overall, the results suggested th at social desirability and masculinity, more than sex role orientation or conflict, are strongly related to eating-disorder behavior, perhap s because of a third mediating factor.