Self-Concept Clarity, Body Image and Restrictive Eating Disorders

Barnett, Vicky and Sellwood, Bill and Gill, Ian and Sellwood, Bill and Gill, Ian (2024) Self-Concept Clarity, Body Image and Restrictive Eating Disorders. PhD thesis, Lancaster University.

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Abstract

Eating disorders are considered to be persistent mental health difficulties, significantly impacting the health and wellbeing of those who experience them. Body image dissatisfaction is considered a key risk factor in the onset of eating disorders, however, the psychological mechanisms by which body dissatisfaction and eating disorders develop is not yet fully understood. Identity constructs such as Self-Concept Clarity (SCC) are being considered in relation to body image development and eating difficulties to further our understanding. SCC is defined as “the extent to which the contents of an individual's self-concept (e.g., perceived personal attributes) are clearly and confidently defined, internally consistent, and temporally stable” (Campbell et al., 1996, p.141), and is thought to play a role in psychological adjustment and wellbeing. To date, there had been no systematic review addressing associations between SCC and body image. Thus, Chapter 1 of the thesis aims to identify systematically, appraise and synthesise all available peer reviewed literature, which explored an association between SCC and body image. The review includes 15 papers, which report on 17 individual studies, all of which explore a quantifiable relationship between SCC and body image. Strong evidence was found to support an association between SCC and body image in non-clinical populations. Chapter two reports on the empirical paper which investigated the relationship between body dissatisfaction, SCC, and restrictive eating disorder symptoms, recruiting participants who identified as experiencing a restrictive eating disorder. Analysis revealed that body image dissatisfaction was associated with reduced SCC and increased eating disorder symptoms. Clinical implications are discussed and identified limitations of the current research are considered, offering recommendations for future research. The homogeneity of participant samples was apparent throughout chapters one and two. Therefore, chapter three offers a critical appraisal and commentary on diversity in eating disorder research, exploring issues of representation and exclusion.