Eating Disorders and Intrasexual Competition: Testing an Evolutionary Hypothesis among Young Women
The sexual competition hypothesis (SCH) contends that intense female intrasexual competition (ISC) is the ultimate cause of eating disorders. The SCH explains the phenomenon of the pursuit of thinness as an adaptation to ISC in the modern environment. It argues that eating disorders are pathological...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2012-01-01
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| Series: | The Scientific World Journal |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1100/2012/290813 |
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| author | Riadh Abed Sunil Mehta Aurelio José Figueredo Sarah Aldridge Hannah Balson Caroline Meyer Robert Palmer |
| author_facet | Riadh Abed Sunil Mehta Aurelio José Figueredo Sarah Aldridge Hannah Balson Caroline Meyer Robert Palmer |
| author_sort | Riadh Abed |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The sexual competition hypothesis (SCH) contends that intense female intrasexual competition (ISC) is the ultimate cause of eating disorders. The SCH explains the phenomenon of the pursuit of thinness as an adaptation to ISC in the modern environment. It argues that eating disorders are pathological phenomena that arise from the mismatch between the modern environment and the inherited female adaptations for ISC. The present study has two aims. The first is to examine the relationship between disordered eating behavior (DEB) and ISC in a sample of female undergraduates. The second is to establish whether there is any relationship between disordered eating behavior and life history (LH) strategy. Participants completed a battery of questionnaires examining eating-related attitudes and behaviors, ISC, and LH strategy. A group of 206 female undergraduates were recruited. A structural equation model was constructed to analyze the data. ISC for mates was significantly associated with DEB, as predicted by the SCH. DEB was found to be predicted by fast LH strategy, which was only partially mediated by the SCH. The results of this study are supportive of the SCH and justify research on a clinical sample. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ab23f7aae966481c8866b00c65eb00dd |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1537-744X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2012-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Scientific World Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-ab23f7aae966481c8866b00c65eb00dd2025-02-03T07:25:27ZengWileyThe Scientific World Journal1537-744X2012-01-01201210.1100/2012/290813290813Eating Disorders and Intrasexual Competition: Testing an Evolutionary Hypothesis among Young WomenRiadh Abed0Sunil Mehta1Aurelio José Figueredo2Sarah Aldridge3Hannah Balson4Caroline Meyer5Robert Palmer6Ferham Clinic, Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust, Rotherham S61 1AJ, UKSwallownest Court, Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust, Rotherham S26 4TH, UKDepartment of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ85721, USALoughborough University Centre for Research into Eating Disorders, Department of Human Science, Loughborough University, Leicestershire LE11 3TU, UKLoughborough University Centre for Research into Eating Disorders, Department of Human Science, Loughborough University, Leicestershire LE11 3TU, UKLoughborough University Centre for Research into Eating Disorders, Department of Human Science, Loughborough University, Leicestershire LE11 3TU, UKLoughborough University Centre for Research into Eating Disorders, Department of Human Science, Loughborough University, Leicestershire LE11 3TU, UKThe sexual competition hypothesis (SCH) contends that intense female intrasexual competition (ISC) is the ultimate cause of eating disorders. The SCH explains the phenomenon of the pursuit of thinness as an adaptation to ISC in the modern environment. It argues that eating disorders are pathological phenomena that arise from the mismatch between the modern environment and the inherited female adaptations for ISC. The present study has two aims. The first is to examine the relationship between disordered eating behavior (DEB) and ISC in a sample of female undergraduates. The second is to establish whether there is any relationship between disordered eating behavior and life history (LH) strategy. Participants completed a battery of questionnaires examining eating-related attitudes and behaviors, ISC, and LH strategy. A group of 206 female undergraduates were recruited. A structural equation model was constructed to analyze the data. ISC for mates was significantly associated with DEB, as predicted by the SCH. DEB was found to be predicted by fast LH strategy, which was only partially mediated by the SCH. The results of this study are supportive of the SCH and justify research on a clinical sample.http://dx.doi.org/10.1100/2012/290813 |
| spellingShingle | Riadh Abed Sunil Mehta Aurelio José Figueredo Sarah Aldridge Hannah Balson Caroline Meyer Robert Palmer Eating Disorders and Intrasexual Competition: Testing an Evolutionary Hypothesis among Young Women The Scientific World Journal |
| title | Eating Disorders and Intrasexual Competition: Testing an Evolutionary Hypothesis among Young Women |
| title_full | Eating Disorders and Intrasexual Competition: Testing an Evolutionary Hypothesis among Young Women |
| title_fullStr | Eating Disorders and Intrasexual Competition: Testing an Evolutionary Hypothesis among Young Women |
| title_full_unstemmed | Eating Disorders and Intrasexual Competition: Testing an Evolutionary Hypothesis among Young Women |
| title_short | Eating Disorders and Intrasexual Competition: Testing an Evolutionary Hypothesis among Young Women |
| title_sort | eating disorders and intrasexual competition testing an evolutionary hypothesis among young women |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1100/2012/290813 |
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