ABSTRACT
The present study examined the utility of the MCMI as a provider of DSM-III Axis I diagnostic hypotheses with a heterogeneous psychiatric inpatient population. Participants represented 31 consecutive referrals made to the psychology department for a clinical and/or diagnostic assessment from a psychiatric rehabilitation unit. Three independent diagnoses derived from the MCMI, a structured interview (DIS), and an unstructured psychiatric interview were obtained for each participant. The percentage agreement between the two criterion diagnoses was 54.8%. Agreement between the MCMI and criterion diagnoses was, at best, 15% for those cases that had an Axis I diagnosis. These findings are in keeping with past research and support the contention that the MCMI is not a useful tool in generating clinically correct or meaningful DSM-III Axis I diagnostic hypotheses.
Subject(s)
Mental Disorders/diagnosis , Personality Disorders/diagnosis , Personality Inventory , Adult , Female , Humans , Interview, Psychological , Male , Mental Disorders/psychology , Middle Aged , Personality Disorders/psychology , Psychiatric Department, Hospital , Psychometrics , Referral and ConsultationABSTRACT
The current paper reviews the methods used for assessing body image in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. A major concern in the assessment of body image in the area of eating disorders has been the apparent failure to recognize the complexity of the body image construct. The development of a range of standardized measures of body image has been an important advancement in recent years; however, it would be premature to assume that any of these methods assesses body image in its entirety. Rather, each provides an operational index of one aspect of this multidimensional construct. The relationship between different dimensions of body image and their respective operational measures remains a potentially valuable area for investigation. Few studies have employed multiple measurement techniques and it is recommended that future investigations incorporate convergent measures which tap perceptual, affective and cognitive elements of the broad body image construct. Factors such as reliability and validity of the different measures of body image must be considered in planning studies with eating disorder patients. Reliability is particularly important because it sets an upper limit on validity. Most studies may be criticized for not addressing the validity of measures employed. Concurrent, convergent, discriminant and predictive validity should be demonstrated for existing as well as new methods. The issue of construct validity which remains a more general concern in the area of body image applies to the investigation of eating disorders. There is the danger that 'body image disturbances' become reified based upon group differences on a particular operational measure. Therefore, conclusions must be cautious even when inferences are drawn from measures which appear to have 'face validity'. The literature on body image in eating disorders has expanded rapidly during the past several years. Generally, it has confirmed the clinical impression that these patients display serious distortions in the feelings, attitudes and perceptions related to their bodies. Hopefully, future research will clarify the mechanisms of action of these body image disturbances and provide insights which will lead to improved treatment.
Subject(s)
Body Image , Feeding and Eating Disorders/psychology , Adolescent , Adult , Anorexia Nervosa/psychology , Child , Humans , Personal Satisfaction , Projective Techniques , Size PerceptionABSTRACT
Obese (n = 20) and normal weight (n = 20) children (8-11 years) were compared using the delay of gratification paradigm. All children were asked to choose between an immediate reward or a larger delayed (one day) reward. Half the children were offered an edible incentive and half a non-edible incentive. Results showed that the obese choose immediate rewards more often than normals only when the incentive was edible. This suggests that deficits in delay of gratification shown by obese children are not generalized dispositions but are specific to food. A second aspect of the study examined preference for food vs non-food items and activities. Normals showed a much stronger preference for non-food items, nutritious foods and non-food related activities than the obese. This suggests that the deficits in delay of gratification shown by the obese children for food related items may be due to the stronger incentive value of these items for them.
