Cognitive - Psychological explanation for Anorexia

• What does the cognitive explanation for anorexia suggest?

  anorexics process information in a unhealthy way - distorted perceptions of own body and how others view them

  eg. more likely to perceive their own body bigger than it is
• What types of beliefs do anorexics have according to the cognitive explanation?

  irrational beliefs

  • catastrophic thinking - think awful things will happen if they eat
  • all or nothing thinking - think of themselves in black and white (either ugly or pretty)
  • negative self labelling - think poorly of themselves by comparing to others
• What is a strength of the cognitive explanation for anorexia?

  research by Mckenzie

  interviewed women with anorexia and controlled thought processes = overestimation of weight

  However- an issue is doesnt explain what caused faulty thinking- role of biology
• What is another strength of the cognitive explanation for anorexia?

  Sternheim-

  Catastrophizing interview techniques (asking questions) with anorexia and non-anorexia

  real world application