The influence of gender and body dissatisfaction on body-related attentional bias: An eye-tracking and virtual reality study.
Por:
Porras-Garcia B, Ferrer-Garcia M, Ghita A, Marta Moreno Ortega, López-Jiménez L, Vallvé-Romeu A, Serrano E and Gutiérrez-Maldonado J
Publicada:
1 oct 2019
Ahead of Print:
13 jul 2019
Categoría:
Psychiatry and mental health
Resumen:
OBJECTIVE: In the attentional bias (AB) phenomenon, eating disorder (ED) patients show a tendency to pay more attention to self-attributed unattractive body parts than to other body parts. However, little research has focused on gender differences in body-related attention, controlling for body dissatisfaction (BD). This study aimed to assess gender differences in AB toward specific weight- or nonweight-related body parts using a virtual reality (VR)-based embodiment technique and an eye-tracking AB assessment. METHOD: Forty-five women (23 with high BD and 22 with low BD) and 40 men (20 with high BD and 20 with low BD) were subsequently embodied in three virtual avatars, the first based on the participant's actual measurements, the second being larger than the participant, and the third being the same as the first avatar. The number of fixations and complete fixation time on weight-related areas of interest (W-AOIs) and nonweight-related areas of interest (NW-AOIs) were recorded for the three assessment time/avatars. RESULTS: The results showed a statistically significant interaction between gender and time for total fixation time and number of fixations (p < .05). BD levels did not significantly affect the results. Overall, women paid more attention to the W-AOIs than men, who in turn paid more attention to the NW-AOIs. Furthermore, preliminary evidence was found for an AB toward muscular-related AOIs among men. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides new information about gender differences and BD in gaze pattern behaviors. Future psychological ED assessments and treatments could take advantage of the possibilities of VR while real-time AB is objectively measured.
Filiaciones:
Porras-Garcia B:
Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
Ferrer-Garcia M:
Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
Ghita A:
Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
Marta Moreno Ortega:
Department of Cognition, Development and Education Psychology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
López-Jiménez L:
Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
Vallvé-Romeu A:
Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
Serrano E:
Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychology Department, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu of Barcelona, Esplugues de Llobregat, Spain
Gutiérrez-Maldonado J:
Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
Green Accepted
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