Psychological Construction of Shame in Disordered Eating

Setari Parsa

Setari Parsa William James College

Abstract

Several features have been shown to perpetuate and characterize anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, ranging from neurobiological and cognitive dispositions to external sociocultural factors. One of these key features is shame, particularly around one’s body. This paper aims to further explore body shame in the context of disordered eating from the perspective of four primary models of emotion: Basic Emotion Theory, Appraisal Theory, Social Construction Theory and Psychological Construction Theory. This paper suggests that a psychological construction model most adequately explains the development of body shame and can best inform clinical treatments addressing this aspect of disordered eating.

Keywords: body shame, eating disorders, emotion, Psychological Construction Theory

Author Biography

Setari Parsa, William James College

Second year clinical PsyD student at William James College. BA in psychology and sociology from Case Western Reserve University. MA in psychology from Boston University.

Interests: mood and affect, attention and executive functioning, cognitive-behavioral therapy, neuropsychology, health psychology, childhood and culture.

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