The shield of self-compassion : a buffer against disordered eating risk from physical appearance perfectionism
Date
13/01/2020Metadata
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Abstract
General perfectionistic tendencies as well as perfectionism focussed specifically on one’s physical appearance have been implicated as risk factors for disordered eating. This study extends previous research on protective factors by investigating self-compassion as a moderator of the relationship between both general and physical-appearance-perfectionism and disordered eating. A cross-sectional online survey assessed general perfectionism, physical-appearance-perfectionism, disordered eating symptoms, self-compassion and negative affect in female UK university students (N = 421). Results showed physical-appearance-perfectionism explained variance (15%) in disordered eating symptoms above general perfectionism and negative affect. Both perfectionistic concerns about and strivings for appearance perfection were significant unique predictors of disordered eating. Self-compassion moderated the relationship between both perfectionistic concerns and strivings of physical-appearance-perfectionism, but not general perfectionism, and disordered eating. This study suggests both perfectionistic concerns about and strivings for appearance perfection represent potential risk factors for disordered eating among female university students and that self-compassion may reduce their impact.
Citation
Bergunde , L & Dritschel , B 2020 , ' The shield of self-compassion : a buffer against disordered eating risk from physical appearance perfectionism ' , PLoS ONE , vol. 15 , no. 1 , e0227564 . https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0227564
Publication
PLoS ONE
Status
Peer reviewed
ISSN
1932-6203Type
Journal article
Rights
Copyright: © 2020 Bergunde, Dritschel. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
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