The Causes Of Eating Disorders Psychology Essay

The Causes Of Eating Disorders Psychology Es produceAn consume disorder is a psychological illness where the subject has an abnormal relationship with aliment, and has a ill-shapen view himself or herself. Particularly in those who suffer from anorexia and bulimia, there is an regression with weight unit loss and food intake. They ar also unable to unwrap how self-destructive their behaviour is, and view themselves as too fat up to now when underweight. (Tighe, 2011)This essay will examine the make ups of take in disorders and the psychological scores that go on with them. Three psychological models will be looked at the cognitive orgasm, the behavioural approach and fin each(prenominal)y, the psychodynamic approach.The basis of the Cognitive approach is the theory that the human header works like a computer. Processed prohibitedside information becomes our thoughts and our make is our behaviour. Cognitive psychologists would explain that the causes of ingest disord ers argon due to faulty learning (thoughts) and having distorted perceptions of self. A. Beck was the pi unityer of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), which drive out help eating disorder sufferers challenge their faulty thinking and change their perceptions. (DK, 2011)It is easy to regulate indeed, how CBT could be very useful in treating those with an eating disorder, as somewhat(prenominal) symptoms of eating disorders are to do with faulty perception of the self.Fallon and Rozin (1985) also did seek based on the cognitive model. They gave a chart of nine images of physical structure types to both workforce and women. On the chart the silhouettes were any very refined to those of a high weight. On the chart they assd how they perceived their declare weight, how they perceived what weight was attractive to those of the opposite sex and their own, ideal weight. Women tended to place both their ideal weight and the weight they thought men would be attracted to on the lower side of the scale. Their perceived current weight pose at a significantly higher point on the scale. The men however, placed both their ideal weight and current weight soaked together but the weight that they perceived women to find attractive was higher on the chart*.This explore is useful at seeing the release mingled with how male and female perception of self and ideal weight differs. However, there are some problems with it. For example, all the people asked were American and between the ages of 18-19 and all went to a private college, which suggests that they were, upper to middle class. This means that this persona of research is highly ethno- centric it is non applicable to those who are release from that background and culture. The research in itself also lacks a certain summation of objective, as even though it shows peoples perceptions of their body it does not mean they are all suffering or will suffer from an eating disorder. The research also now lacks historical validity as it was carried out in 1985. Ideal body image was different to how it is now. (Adler, 1992)The cognitive approach can have coercive appraisal as it backed up scientifically. Its eccentric validity reflects in the success rate for CBT, which is often very high. The downside is that is seems to de-humanise people. It does not place any bearings on the patients emotions or their individual circumstances. A patient also seems to face large amount of blame and responsibility.In crinkle with the Cognitive, approach is the psychodynamic approach Sigmund Freud was the main trailblazer and the first person to record the mind. He believed that Mental Illness and mal -adaptive behaviour was due to repressed memories and emotions held in our unconscious mind and that, causes of emotional pain can be bought out through psychoanalysis (DK, 2011). This quote also links into another realm of what Freuds theory was on how the human mind worked. He believed that the human head had three main maps the id, ego and the superego. Freud believed the id is responsible, for our basic animal instincts, much(prenominal) as wanting food, or sex. There was also the ego was the ruin of the mind that was connected with the reality of the situation you are in. Finally, the superego is the moral part of the psyche. It is the voice that tells us was is good and right to do regardless of what the id wants. Freuds article of belief is that if the id, ego and superego are unbalanced therefore it is one of the pre- cursors to psychological illness, much(prenominal) as an eating disorder.Freud also put a strong accent on early childhood experiences. He concluded that poor parenting or difficulty bonding with parents as a child could lead to mental illness and abnormal behaviour as an adult. A psychodynamic view of the cause of mortal having an eating disorder if a younger women for example, would be that in her unconscious mind she fears becoming an adult. Due to this fear, she tries to revert to being a child by losing weight, causing her to lose her feminine figure and to power point herself menstruating. H. Bruch also believed that this aspiration of wanting to become a child energy also be to do with having a poor relationship with parents who did not help her to develop any sort of identity. *There are some definite criticisms about the psychodynamic approach. One of the biggest problems with it is its very difficult to test as it is based on case studies, not scientific testing.In fact, the scarce way you could test it is by using identical twins by putting one through a trauma and the other one not this of course, is greatly unethical. You also cannot duplicate the exact result on any other patient. What more, the approach has a huge bias against parenting and the billet it could play in mental illness. However, numerous case studies back up the psychodynamic approach and the use of psychoanalysis so it could work for some peopl e.The defy and final approach analysed is the Behavioural approach. The theory of it is that all behaviours learned are due to experience. In addition, those behaviours can whence be unlearned. Ivan Pavlov, research the theory of classical conditioning by using domestic dogs. He used a stimulus such as a bell ringing and large the dog food at the same time to condition the dog to expect food whenever it hear the bell ring. The dog would even live to salivate before it saw the food but still heard the ringing of the bell. (Youtube, 2008) B.F Skinner expanded on Pavlovs research and called his theory etymon Behaviourism. He started by using mice. He would place the mice in a box whenever the mouse pressed a lever or bar, it food was given. Skinner explained that this wasnt operant conditioning like Pavlovs as there was no preceding stimulus the behaviour of the mouse was continued by the positive reinforcement of getting food. He continued his research by then wiring up the floo r of the box to an electric source. The mouse would then get a shock when performing certain behaviour. The mouse then learned the behaviour and shock were linked .This is minus reinforcement. (DK, 2011)The behavioural approaches explanation of the causes of an eating disorder in an individual would be due to either positive or negative reinforcement. An example of operant conditioning, that led to someone developing an eating disorder would be, that if a teenage girl kept losing weight and got continuous praise from friends, but then also receiving negative criticism from her parents for saying she was greedy whenever she ate. She would learn that if she lost weight and did not eat much her friends would complement her and her parents in turn, would accept her.Criticisms of the behavioural approach are that scientific testing is possible. It also gives quick results when it comes to treatment. Unfortunately, it does not rivet on the patients emotions or their current personal ci rcumstances. Neither, is it suitable to treat all illnesses, with eating disorders in particular a downside of it would be, that it changes the behaviour but has not influence of the cause, of that behaviour.In conclusion, it is widely acknowledged that eating disorders do not have one overruling cause but have a complicated mixture of disordered thinking and negative perceptions of self. Poor interpersonal relationships and retiring(a) trauma may also play a part. Eating disorders may also run in social groups and behaviours associated with eating disorders may be picked up/learned through peer pressure. ( subject field Eating Disorders Association, 2004)It is safe to say then that all of the psychological approaches cognitive, behavioural and psychodynamic are all abruptly valid in explaining why someone may suffer from an eating disorder and it is wise to keep an open minded approach to treating an eating disorder, as all of the approaches work in a highly twine and harmonio us way.*Allen. C (2012) Lecture notes Studies on eating disorders. Access to HE, 24th OctoberReferencesAdler, L. D. (1992). pistillate and Male Perceptions of I deal Body Shapes. Retrieved October Wednesday 24th, 2012, from Lillianmcmaster.com http//www.lillianmcmaster.com/resources/ideal%20body%20image%20study%20on%20caucasians.pdfDK. (2011). The Psycholgy Book. London Dorling Kindersley.National Eating Disorders Association. (2004). What Causes Eating Disorders. Retrieved October Thursday 25th, 2012, from National Eating Disorders.org http//www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/nedaDir/files/documents/handouts/WhatCaus.pdfTighe, J. (2011, May). Eating Disorders. Retrieved October Wednesday 24th, 2012, from BBC wellness http//www.bbc.co.uk/health/emotional_health/mental_health/mind_eatingdisorders.shtmlYoutube (Director). (2008). Classical Conditioning- Ivan Pavlov Motion Picture.