Looking at body image: The organization of self-knowledge about physical appearance and its relation to disordered eating

This study examined the organization of self-knowledge, with special attent ion to beliefs about physical appearance, in three groups of college-aged w omen: high body dissatisfaction with symptoms of disordered eating; high bo dy dissatisfaction with no symptoms of disorder; and low body dissatisfacti on. In the nondisordered, dissatisfied group, negative beliefs about physic al appearance were organized in the self-structure in a way that isolated t hose beliefs and might minimize their impact and importance. This group als o displayed adaptive types of self-concept organization (evaluative integra tion for those with important negative self-beliefs and compartmentalizatio n for those with important positive beliefs) and effective coping strategie s. Features of self-structure that characterize the nondisordered, dissatis fied group may provide a useful model for helping individuals with disorder ed eating cope with their negative physical appearance beliefs.