Masters Theses

Date of Award

12-1995

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Health Promotion and Health Education

Major Professor

Jack S. Ellison

Committee Members

Bill C. Wallace, Joy T. DeSensi

Abstract

The purposes of this study were: 1) to determine if there was a significant difference in self-concept between a non randomly selected sample of eating-disordered and non eating-disordered undergraduate females at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and 2) to determine the relationship between the variables that compromise the two instruments used in this study. Data were collected during Spring, Summer, and Fall, 1995 terms. Three-hundred-thirty eight volunteers from General Psychology 110 classes completed a demographic questionnaire and the following two self-report instruments: The Eating Disorder Inventory-2 (EDI-2) and the Tennessee Self-Concept Scale (TSCS).

Scores of 14 and above on the EDI-2 Drive For Thinness (DT) subscale were used to classify participants as eating disordered (ED), and scores of 13 and below designated participants as non eating-disordered (NED). Data analysis showed that 22% (n=75) of the women were categorized as eating-disordered and 78% (n=263) as non eating-disordered. The TSCS construct scores were inversely related to the EDI-2 subscale scores, except for the TSCS Self-Criticism construct. Forty percent of the TSCS variables were not normally distributed in both the ED and NED groups. Eating Disordered and non eating-disordered college females demonstrated significantly different overall EDI-2 scores. as well as significantly different scores on the following EDI-2 subscales: Drive For Thinness, Bulimia, Body Dissatisfaction, Ineffectiveness, Perfectionism, Interoceptive Awareness, Asceticism, Impulse Regulation, and Social Insecurity. Eating-disordered and non eating-disordered college females did not demonstrate significantly different overall self-concept scores or other TSCS construct scores, except for the Moral-Ethical construct.

The following conclusions were drawn in this study:

  1. Using the Drive For Thinness (DT) subscale and a cutoff point of 14, the EDI-2 effectively divided a nonrandom but representative female sample into two unique groups: i.e., eating-disordered (ED) and non eating-disordered (NED).
  2. Self-concept tends not to be related to eating disordered attitudes/behaviors in nonclinical population of undergraduate females.
  3. All variables of the TSCS (except Self-Criticism) demonstrated a significant inverse relationship with the variables of the EDI-2.

The following recommendations were made:

  1. The University of Tennessee, Knoxville should develop a support group for women with admitted eating-disordered attitudes/behaviors.
  2. A longitudinal study should be performed measuring eating-disordered attitudes/behaviors with freshman women and again with the women as seniors, to determine if such attitudes and behaviors increase/decrease/stay the same, which may give added evidence that the university environment may contribute to such.
  3. Additional studies should be conducted to ascertain if other global parameters of the whole person such as self-confidence and self worth are significantly related to differences in eating-disordered attitudes/behaviors.
  4. Further investigations should attempt to combine the quantitative methodology of the current study with qualitative measures such as personal interviews, which could give validity to the findings from the EDI-2, and aid in the interpretation of the statistical data.
  5. Future research assessing self-concept and/or eating disordered attitudes/behaviors among undergraduate students should include gender comparisons.

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