'n Ondersoek na die verband tussen persoonlikheidstipe en eetversteurings by vrouens

[摘要] English: The relationship between personality type and eating disorders among women was investigated in this study. Many researchers regard personality as a risk factor in thedevelopment of eating disorders. The negative impact eating disorders have on theindividual and society in general gives enough support for the need to develop moreeffective preventative measures. Any research that aims to contribute to the field ofprevention, is therefore of utmost importance. Research mainly focuses on therelationship between pathological personality traits and eating disorders, which leaves agreat need for research in the field of non-clinical personality traits and its relation to theeating disorders. This study partly aims to address this need.The Revised NEO Personality Inventory was used to study the relationship betweeneating disorders and non-clinical personality traits in women. Altogether 59 subjectswillingly participated in this study, of which 15 subjects have anorexia nervosa, 12subjects obesity and 15 subjects have no eating disorder. Due to the sensitive nature ofthis subject and participants' unwillingness to take part in a study of this nature, it wasvery difficult to draw bigger samples for this study.The most important findings of the study were as follow:•Except for higher scores on the Neuroticism scale (N), there was no significantdifference in the personality profiles between the anorexia nervosa group and thegroup without eating disorders. These results suggest that the anorexia nervosasubjects have marked higher levels of neuroticism than those with no eatingdisorder. In comparison with people without an eating disorder, people with anorexianervosa are more sensitive, emotional and tend to experience disturbing or negativeemotions. Even though this scale does not measure unhealthy neuroticism, highlevels of neuroticism could present vulnerability for the development of an eatingdisorder.•The scores which the obese group obtained on the E (extroversion), A(agreeableness) and 0 (openness) scales, differed significantly from the group withno eating disorders and also differed significantly on the A and 0 scales from theanorexia group. They repeatedly scored lower average values than the group withno eating disorders. Their personality profile seems to be more restricted(introverted, withdrawn, reserved, hardheaded, skeptic) than the group with noeating disorders.•These results seem to correlate in some way with findings reported in the literature,but due to the methodological limitations of this study, these results cannot begeneralized and further research is necessary in order to validate and broaden thesefindings.

[发布机构] University of the Free State