Title

Attachment to God and Eating Disorder Tendencies: The Mediating Role of Social Comparison

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2014

Abstract

Previous research has shown that secure, nonanxious attachment to God is associated with reduced levels of disordered eating and attitudes. The present study explored whether social comparison mediated this relationship. Participants (186 female undergraduates) completed measures of attachment to God, social comparison on 3 body-related dimensions (body, eating, and exercise), and 3 standard eating disorder variables (drive for thinness, bulimia, and body dissatisfaction). A series of multiple mediation analyses were performed using the MEDIATE macro for SPSS. Anxious attachment to God was associated with increased tendencies to engage in social comparison, and social comparison tendencies were associated with increases in eating disorder symptoms. The mediating role of social comparison was confirmed. Results are discussed in the context of attachment theory and its more recent theoretical extensions. © 2014 American Psychological Association.

Comments

Originally published as:

Homan, K. J., & Lemmon, V. A. (2014). Attachment to God and eating disorder tendencies: The mediating role of social comparison. Psychology of Religion and Spirituality, 6(4), 349–357. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0036776

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