Research suggests that, similar to individuals with an Autism Spectrum Disorder, people with Anorexia Nervosa demonstrate an inability to utilize Theory of Mind concepts. Theory of Mind allows healthy control populations to attribute mental states to others by accurately predicting and understanding the behavior of others. This study's intent was to further explore the relationship between eating disorders and Theory of Mind. Using an online survey management system (Qualtrics), 210 female students from a large metropolitan southeastern university completed the Drive for Thinness subscale of the Eating Disorder Inventory and the Reading the Mind in the Eyes task. It was predicted that higher Drive for Thinness would be associated with a diminished capacity for Theory of Mind concepts. Using a bivariate correlation, the findings were not found to be statistically significant in support of the hypothesis, but provide strong implications for future research.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ucf.edu/oai:stars.library.ucf.edu:honorstheses1990-2015-2576 |
| Date | 01 May 2014 |
| Creators | Hudak, Sarah |
| Publisher | STARS |
| Source Sets | University of Central Florida |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | HIM 1990-2015 |
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