The influence of gender and body dissatisfaction on body‐related attentional bias: An eye‐tracking and virtual reality study

Abstract

Objective In the attentional bias (AB) phenomenon, eating disorder (ED) patients show a tendency to pay more attention to self‐attributed unattractive body parts than to other body parts. However, little research has focused on gender differences in body‐related attention, controlling for body dissatisfaction (BD). This study aimed to assess gender differences in AB toward specific weight‐ or nonweight‐related body parts using a virtual reality (VR)‐based embodiment technique and an eye‐tracking AB assessment. Method Forty‐five women (23 with high BD and 22 with low BD) and 40 men (20 with high BD and 20 with low BD) were subsequently embodied in three virtual avatars, the first based on the participant's actual measurements, the second being larger than the participant, and the third being the same as the first avatar. The number of fixations and complete fixation time on weight‐related areas of interest (W‐AOIs) and nonweight‐related areas of interest (NW‐AOIs) were recorded for the three assessment time/avatars. Results The results showed a statistically significant interaction between gender and time for total fixation time and number of fixations (p < .05). BD levels did not significantly affect the results. Overall, women paid more attention to the W‐AOIs than men, who in turn paid more attention to the NW‐AOIs. Furthermore, preliminary evidence was found for an AB toward muscular‐related AOIs among men. Conclusions This study provides new information about gender differences and BD in gaze pattern behaviors. Future psychological ED assessments and treatments could take advantage of the possibilities of VR while real‐time AB is objectively measured.

Validity of Virtual Reality Body Exposure to Elicit Fear of Gaining Weight, Body Anxiety and Body-Related Attentional Bias in Patients with Anorexia Nervosa

“…However, overall, both groups showed more general scanning behavior, covering the whole body. These results are in-line with a previous study conducted in our group [ 50 ] in which women with high and low BD showed similar attentional patterns toward their own virtual bodies. This previous study was conducted with a previous version of the virtual simulation.…”

“…Although self-reported unattractive body areas among individuals with EDs could indeed be areas related with weight, the evidence for attentional bias towards specific weight-related body areas could not be clearly established, since there might be weight-related body areas in both the self-reported attractive and unattractive body parts. In this study and in previous studies conducted by our group, a different methodology was used to define the areas of interest, in which an individual’s gazing behavior was analyzed using the same definition of areas of interest for all participants e.g., weight- vs. non-weight-related body areas [ 50 , 51 ]. These areas of interest were defined based on well-established questionnaires that assess the same body image construct, such as the weight-related scale of the PASTAS.…”

“…Finally, to assess the body-related attentional bias, a calibration and recording procedure was conducted using VR HMD-FOVE-Eye Tracking. The participants’ gaze was tracked while they were asked to observe their virtual body in the mirror for 30 s (a similar recording time to that used in other studies) [ 50 , 54 , 55 ]. During the process, and as a cover story, the participant was told to remain still and avoid abrupt head movements while the virtual avatar position was being recalibrated.…”

Introduction to the special issue on advancing assessment of, and interventions for, eating disorders via innovative uses of technology

“…This is the focus of the final section of this Special Issue, with the first two contributions (Levinson, Christian, Ram, Brosof, & Williams, ; Smith et al, ) providing an overview of the various ways in which technology may be used to collect data that are not reliant upon self‐report. The remaining two papers present empirical studies on the potential of Virtual Reality and eye‐tracking (Porras‐Garcia et al, ) and a Smartphone application (Neumayr, Voderholzer, Tregarthen, & Schlegl, ) for assessment and treatment.…”

“…Another variant of assessing objective data was used by Porras‐Garcia et al () who took advantage of eye‐tracking technology to investigate attentional biases in an experimental study with 85 students who were embodied in virtual avatars of different body sizes. Specifically, the study aimed to assess gender differences in attentional bias toward specific weight‐related and non‐weight related body parts while adjusting for body dissatisfaction.…”