The purpose of this article is to integrate diverse research efforts in an attempt to move toward an understanding of risk factors for bulimia. For this task, three questions in particular require attention. Because 90% of bulimics are women, a first question to address is, Why women? Second, despite the high prevalence of dieting and weight concerns among women in general, it is still a minority who evidence the clinical syndrome of bulimia, leading to the question, Which women in particular? These questions are considered from a range of perspectivesusociocultural, developmental, psychological, and biological Third, the rapidly increasing prevalence of bulimia in recent years raises yet another question, Why now? Our analysis points to research questions that must be examined before we can expand our understanding of the etiology of bulimia.
The relation between health and a sense of control may grow stronger in old age. This could occur through three types of processes: experiences particularly relevant to control may increase markedly in old age; the association between control and some aspect of health may be altered by age; and age may influence the association between control and health-related behaviors or the seeking of medical care. Studies show that there are detrimental effects on the health of older people when their control of their activities is restricted; in contrast, interventions that enhance options for control by nursing home patients promote health. With increasing age, however, variability in preferred amounts of control also increases, and sometimes greater control over activities, circumstances, or health has negative consequences including stress, worry, and self-blame. Mechanisms mediating the control-health relation include feelings of stress, symptom labeling, changes in the neuroendocrine and immune systems, and behavior relevant to health maintenance.
A field experiment was conducted to assess the effects of enhanced personal responsibility and choice on a group of nursing home residents. It was expected that the debilitated condition of many of the aged residing in institutional settings is, at least in part, a result of living in a virtually decision-free environment and consequently is potentially reversible. Residents who were in the experimental group were given a communication emphasizing their responsibility for themselves, whereas the communication given to a second group stressed the staff's responsibility for them. In addition, to bolster the communication, the former group was given the freedom to make choices and the responsibility of caring for a plant rather than having decisions made and tbe plant taken care of for them by the staff, as was the case for the latter group. Questionnaire ratings and behavioral measures showed a significant improvement for the experimental group over the comparison group on alertness, active participation, and a general sense of well-being. 'i-quests for reprints should be sent to Ellen L ger, Social Personality Program, Graduate Cen
In the present study we explored some antecedents and consequences of socialcomparison jealousy (traditionally termed envy). Eighty college undergraduates were randomly assigned to one of eight experimental conditions in which they received either positive or negative feedback on a bogus personality test that was either self-definitionaUy relevant or irrelevant, followed by feedback of successful performance by another person in a domain that was either relevant or irrelevant to the subject. Significantly greater jealousy of the other person was reported in the condition in which the subject received negative feedback regarding own performance on a self-involving characteristic, and in which the successful performance of the other was on the same characteristic. Subjects in this condition were more likely to disparage the rival and less likely to desire his or her friendship. In addition, these subjects tended to feel more depressed and anxious about interacting with the comparison person. We envy those whose acquisitions and successful efforts are a reproach to us. (Aristotle, c. 340 B.C./1932, p. 128)When we compare ourselves to others and find that we do not measure up, we may experience envy and jealousy. Yet, although such experiences are often implied in the study of social comparison processes, they rarely are explicitly investigated in that context. In this study we examined some of the personality and situational antecedents of the experience of envy and jealousy in social comparison situations as well as their cognitive and affective consequences. We designed the study in order to investigate the effects of feedback that threatens one's self-concept on anxiety, mood, and evaluation of others in a social comparison context. From such data, we can begin to infer the conditions that promote social-comparison jealousy as well as the resultant thoughts and feelings.
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