DClinPsy Portfolio Volume 1 of 3 - University of Hertfordshire ...

Therefore comparing adolescent females with a high EDR to individuals with a lower
risk would enable an exploration of differences (in particular in relation to inflexibility)
amongst the adolescents at a potentially early stage of an eating disorder.
Overview of the results of the hypotheses
Support for inflexibility as a transdiagnostic process
A significant negative correlation (with a medium effect size) was found between
inflexibility and body image acceptance so that higher inflexibility was associated with
lower acceptance of body image. This was as predicted and lends support to the ACT
theory that holds lower acceptance to be a part of inflexibility (presented in Figure 1, see
Introduction). Flexibility includes ‘acceptance’ (defined above) which was looked at in
relation to body image and inflexibility includes the opposite of ‘acceptance’ (i.e.
experiential avoidance).
It was then predicted that those in the high EDR group would have lower body image
acceptance and higher inflexibility. This was supported; the high EDR group had higher
inflexibility as compared to the low EDR group and less acceptance of their body image,
(both with medium to large effect sizes). Body image dissatisfaction has often been
presented as a risk factor in eating pathology (e.g. Killen, et al, 1996). ACT maintains
that it is not body image dissatisfaction per se that results in an increased risk but a lack
of psychological ‘acceptance’ (i.e. higher levels of experiential avoidance). This is
considered further below. These findings confirmed the hypotheses that inflexibility is
implicated in eating pathology and add support to the ACT literature that identifies
inflexibility (i.e. cognitive fusion and experiential avoidance) as an important generic
psychopathological process to be included in the understanding and treatment of those at
risk of an ED.
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