The purpose of this experiment was to provide an empirical comparison of two dissonance-based eating disorder prevention paradigms and a no-treatment control condition. Asymptomatic and symptomatic participants (N = 155) were randomly assigned to one of three experimental conditions: high level dissonance, low level dissonance, or no-treatment control. Group x symptomatic status interactions, main effects, and pairwise comparisons were examined to assess differences in eating disorder attitudes and behaviors at postintervention and 4-week follow-up. Participants in the high level condition displayed fewer eating disorder attitudes and behaviors compared to participants in the low level condition at postintervention. Eating disorder attitudes and behaviors were not significantly lower among participants in either intervention condition compared to no-treatment control participants.
is an adjunct professor in Fort Collins, CO and teaches child development and human sexuality courses. She presents at conferences on psychologists as mothers, writes a column in the Division 35 newsletter on feminist mothering, and also moderates a listserv of over 130 feminist psychologist mothers. She is also a mother.
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