| Literature DB >> 28428765 |
Gloria Dada1,2, Sheila Izu3, Claudia Montebruno4, Antoni Grau5, Guillem Feixas3.
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to explore the content of personal constructs in people diagnosed with bulimia nervosa (BN). We expected to find differences in the predominant content of the construct systems between women with and without BN. We analyzed the constructs elicited using the repertory grid technique from 120 women aged between 18 to 45 years, divided into two groups: a clinical group of women diagnosed with bulimia (n = 62) and a control group of university students (n = 58). The constructs were categorized using the Classification System for Personal Constructs (CSPC), composed of six themes which are broken down into 45 categories. For this study, a new area called "Physical" was included, and it consists of three categories. The results indicated that women diagnosed with bulimia used significantly more constructs related to the body, while the control group used more constructs from the personal area. In addition, the congruent constructs from the clinical sample were predominantly moral, or related to values and interests, while discrepant constructs were personal and physical. The findings provide evidence for the clinical use of the CSPC as an instrument for exploring the content of personal meaning systems. Understanding the patient's personal constructions about herself and others is useful for treatment. Moreover, it is important for clinicians to explore the content of constructs related to symptomatic areas, which could be hindering change, and focus on them to facilitate improvement.Entities:
Keywords: RepGrid; bulimia nervosa; content analysis; eating disorders; personal construct
Year: 2017 PMID: 28428765 PMCID: PMC5382152 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00480
Source DB: PubMed Journal: Front Psychol ISSN: 1664-1078
Categories included in the “Physical Area” included for the CSPC for the purposes of this study.
| 7A | BODY APPEARANCE | |
| Thin | Fat | |
| Pretty | Ugly | |
| 7B | PHYSICAL MALAISE | |
| In pain | Without pain | |
| Healthy | Ill | |
| 7C | ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE BODY | |
| Worried about body | At ease with own body | |
| Takes care of own body | Does not care | |
| Obsessed with food (or weight, or body, or health) | Not obsessed with food (or weight, or body, or health) | |
Frequency and percentage of constructs, and standardized residuals by area and group.
| Moral | Emotional | Relational | Personal∗ | Intellectual | Values | Physical∗ | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-clinical group ( | 270 | 325 | 379 | 425 | 109 | 114 | 23 | |
| 270.0 | 315.8 | 383.6 | 396.7 | 97.9 | 106.2 | 75.6 | ||
| % | 7.1% | 8.6% | 10.0% | 11.3% | 2.9% | 3.0% | 0.6% | |
| SR | 0.0 | 0.8 | -0.4 | 2.2 | 1.5 | 1.0 | -8.3 | |
| Clinical group ( | 348 | 398 | 499 | 483 | 115 | 129 | 150 | |
| 348.0 | 407.2 | 494.4 | 511.3 | 126.1 | 136.8 | 97.4 | ||
| % | 9.2% | 10.5% | 13.2% | 12.8% | 3.0% | 3.4% | 4.0% | |
| SR | 0.0 | -0.8 | 0.4 | -2.2 | -1.5 | -1.0 | 8.3 | |
| Total | 618 | 723 | 878 | 908 | 224 | 243 | 173 | |
| % | 16.4% | 19.1% | 23.2% | 24.0% | 5.9% | 6.4% | 4.6% | |
Frequency of constructs and standardized residuals by area and category in BN patients and non-clinical controls.
| Category | SR | Category | SR | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NC | BN | NC | BN | NC | BN | NC | BN | ||||||
| 1A | Good-bad | 25 | 38 | -0.6 | 0.6 | 3I | Trusting-suspicious | 11 | 14 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1B | Altruist-egoist | 80 | 75 | 2 | -2 | 3O | Others | 22 | 28 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1C | Humble-proud | 26 | 50 | -1.7 | 1.7 | 4A | Strong-weak | 60 | 87 | -0.7 | 0.7 | ||
| 1D | Respectful-judgmental | 14 | 21 | -0.4 | 0.4 | 4B | Active-passive∗ | 57 | 51 | 2.0 | -2.0 | ||
| 1E | Faithful-unfaithful | 10 | 22 | -1.4 | 1.4 | 4C | Hardworking-lazy | 69 | 69 | 1.5 | -1.5 | ||
| 1F | Sincere-insincere | 56 | 67 | 0.4 | -0.4 | 4D | Organized-disorganized | 50 | 71 | -0.5 | 0.5 | ||
| 1G | Just-unjust | 3 | 1 | 1.3 | -1.3 | 4E | Decisive-indecisive | 16 | 16 | 0.7 | -0.7 | ||
| 1H | Responsible-irresponsible | 45 | 53 | 0.5 | -0.5 | 4F | Flexible-rigid | 37 | 49 | -0.1 | 0.1 | ||
| 1O | Others | 7 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 4G | Thoughtful-shallow | 30 | 16 | 3 | -3 | ||
| 2A | Visceral-rational∗ | 66 | 53 | 2.6 | -2.6 | 4H | Mature-immature | 38 | 52 | -0.3 | 0.3 | ||
| 2B | Warm-cold | 92 | 126 | -0.5 | 0.5 | 4O | Others | 49 | 49 | 1.3 | -1.3 | ||
| 2C | Optimist-pessimist | 33 | 44 | -0.1 | 0.1 | 5A | Capable-incapable | 7 | 12 | -0.6 | 0.6 | ||
| 2D | Balanced-unbalanced | 61 | 88 | -0.7 | 0.7 | 5B | Intelligent-dull | 32 | 32 | 1 | -1 | ||
| 2E | Specific | 49 | 73 | -0.8 | 0.8 | 5C | Cultured-uncultured | 36 | 33 | 1.4 | -1.4 | ||
| 2F | Sexuality | 7 | 3 | 1.7 | -1.7 | 5D | Focused-unfocused | 11 | 5 | 2 | -2 | ||
| 2O | Others | 7 | 5 | 1 | -1 | 5E | Creative-not creative | 12 | 12 | 0.6 | -0.6 | ||
| 3A | Extroverted-introverted | 122 | 127 | 1.8 | -1.8 | 5F | Specific abilities | 5 | 6 | 0.1 | -0.1 | ||
| 3B | Pleasant-unpleasant | 38 | 68 | -1.6 | 1.6 | 6A | Ideological values | 47 | 43 | 1.7 | -1.7 | ||
| 3C | Direct-devious | 15 | 14 | 0.9 | -0.9 | 6B | Specific values | 62 | 76 | 0.3 | -0.3 | ||
| 3D | Tolerant-authoritarian | 39 | 43 | 0.7 | -0.7 | 6O | Others | 1 | 3 | -0.8 | 0.8 | ||
| 3E | Conformist-rebel | 38 | 52 | -0.3 | 0.3 | 7A | Body appearance∗ | 2 | 75 | -7.3 | 7.3 | ||
| 3F | Dependent-independent | 41 | 58 | -0.5 | 0.5 | 7B | Physical malaise | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 3G | Peaceable-aggressive | 18 | 29 | -0.7 | 0.7 | 7C | Attitude toward body∗ | 17 | 70 | -4.6 | 4.6 | ||
| 3H | Sympathetic-unsympathetic | 28 | 38 | -0.2 | 0.2 | NA | No inter-rater agreement | 51 | 86 | -1.5 | 1.5 | ||
Frequency and standardized residuals of congruent and discrepant constructs from the non-clinical sample.
| Moral∗ | Emotional∗ | Relational | Personal∗ | Intellectual | Values | Physical | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Congruent | 207 | 192 | 248 | 273 | 76 | 80 | 16 | |
| 190.39 | 203.08 | 241.16 | 290.12 | 74.34 | 77.97 | 15.41 | ||
| SR | 4.33 | -2.82 | 1.63 | -3.83 | 0.65 | 0.78 | 0.49 | |
| Discrepant | 3 | 32 | 18 | 47 | 6 | 6 | 1 | |
| 19.61 | 20.92 | 24.84 | 29.88 | 7.66 | 8.03 | 1.59 | ||
| SR | -4.33 | 2.82 | -1.63 | 3.83 | -0.65 | -0.78 | -0.49 | |
| Total | 210 | 224 | 266 | 320 | 82 | 86 | 17 | |
| 210 | 224 | 266 | 320 | 82 | 86 | 17 | ||
Frequency and standardized residuals of congruent and discrepant constructs from the clinical sample.
| Moral∗ | Emotional | Relational | Personal∗ | Intellectual | Values∗ | Physical∗ | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Congruent | 196 | 181 | 235 | 191 | 60 | 76 | 33 | |
| 164.57 | 174.46 | 228.14 | 233.08 | 59.33 | 64.27 | 48.03 | ||
| SR | 4.96 | 1.01 | 0.96 | -5.83 | 0.17 | 2.79 | -4.10 | |
| Discrepant | 37 | 66 | 88 | 139 | 24 | 15 | 35 | |
| 68.43 | 72.54 | 94.86 | 96.92 | 24.67 | 26.73 | 19.97 | ||
| SR | -4.96 | -1.01 | -0.96 | 5.83 | -0.17 | -2.79 | 4.10 | |
| Total | 233 | 247 | 323 | 330 | 84 | 91 | 68 | |
| 233 | 247 | 323 | 330 | 84 | 91 | 68 | ||