Key Question: Is the influence of role models and
celebrities something that causes anorexia nervosa?
Some key facts:
Cognitive
Anorexia is the refusal to eat
and maintaining a
minimum average expected
body weight.
The fear of gaining weight. Emotion Behaviour
Weighing and portioning
food.
Distorted body image. Classical Conditioning:
Amenorrhea - absence of a Do we associate being thin with feeling good about ourselves?
menstrual cycle . Operant Conditioning:
Other physical problems - Are we rewarded for not eating?
lightheaded, hair loss, weak Social Learning Theory:
bones, kidney failure. Do we learn our eating behaviour from others?
Affects 1 in 150 15 year old
girls.
1% of 16-18 year olds have
anorexia. Classical:
40% of people recover UCS = glamour and beauty
completely. UCR = approval
30% suffer illness for a long NS = not eating
time. CS = not eating
Tends to be more fatal in CR = approval
men as it is diagnosed much Associating not eating with being beautiful after the behaviour is
later. repeated.
Social Learning Theory:
Operant:
Attention - someone watching a Victoria
Positive reinforcement - someone is
Secret model.
rewarded for starving themselves.
Retention - observing their weight and
This could be where someone posts a picture
people’s behaviour to it.
that makes them look skinnier and they get
Reproduction - conducting the same
more likes than usual.
behaviour.
The likes are the reward and so will make the
Motivation - repeating the same behaviour.
person want to continue to look skinny.
Vicarious reinforcement - being praised for
They are likely to repeat their behaviour.
being skinny.
celebrities something that causes anorexia nervosa?
Some key facts:
Cognitive
Anorexia is the refusal to eat
and maintaining a
minimum average expected
body weight.
The fear of gaining weight. Emotion Behaviour
Weighing and portioning
food.
Distorted body image. Classical Conditioning:
Amenorrhea - absence of a Do we associate being thin with feeling good about ourselves?
menstrual cycle . Operant Conditioning:
Other physical problems - Are we rewarded for not eating?
lightheaded, hair loss, weak Social Learning Theory:
bones, kidney failure. Do we learn our eating behaviour from others?
Affects 1 in 150 15 year old
girls.
1% of 16-18 year olds have
anorexia. Classical:
40% of people recover UCS = glamour and beauty
completely. UCR = approval
30% suffer illness for a long NS = not eating
time. CS = not eating
Tends to be more fatal in CR = approval
men as it is diagnosed much Associating not eating with being beautiful after the behaviour is
later. repeated.
Social Learning Theory:
Operant:
Attention - someone watching a Victoria
Positive reinforcement - someone is
Secret model.
rewarded for starving themselves.
Retention - observing their weight and
This could be where someone posts a picture
people’s behaviour to it.
that makes them look skinnier and they get
Reproduction - conducting the same
more likes than usual.
behaviour.
The likes are the reward and so will make the
Motivation - repeating the same behaviour.
person want to continue to look skinny.
Vicarious reinforcement - being praised for
They are likely to repeat their behaviour.
being skinny.
