BULIMIC PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND ATTENTIONAL BIASES TO EGO THREATS AMONG NON-EATING-DISORDERED WOMEN

Objective: It has been proposed that bulimic psychopathology is associ ated with responsiveness to ego threats, rather than to physical threa t. However, the concept of ego threat is a heterogeneous one, and need s to be more clearly defined. This study examined the relationship bet ween bulimic attitudes and attentional biases to different forms of th reat. Method: The participants were 80 non-eating-disordered women, dr awn from school and University populations. Each woman completed a Str oop task, measuring attentional biases toward five different forms of threat. Their times to complete these tasks were associated with score s on the Eating Disorders Inventory. Results: Bulimic (but not restric tive) attitudes were specifically associated with an attentional bias toward ego threats that are self-directed, rather than with ego threat s that are perceived to come from others. Discussion: It is suggested that there is a complex relationship between attention to self-directe d ego threats, poor self-esteem (ineffectiveness), and bulimic psychop athology, although the causal structure of the relationship remains to be established. The results require replication with an eating-disord ered sample. (C) 1996 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.