Abstract
Based on a hypothesized disturbance in personal control and efficacy in anorexia nervosa, locus of control score infernale adolescents with anorexia nervosa was compared to scores obtained from depressed and conduct disorder controls, and to adolescent female standardization norms. Results indicated that (a) as a group, anorectics were significantly more internal than each of the controls; (b) anorectics scoring in a more external direction showed greater denial of illness, fear of weight change, impulse dyscontrol, rigidity of self-imposed controls, use of purgatives and diuretics, and body-image distortion; and (c) more internal anorectics evidenced more rapid weight gain during treatment. Findings were discussed in terms of the psychopathology of anorexia nervosa and the empirical literature relating locus of control to personality functioning and symptom alleviation.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
American Psychiatric Association.Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders Washington, D.C.: American Psychiatric Association, 1980.
Askevold, F. Measuring body image.Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 1975,26, 71–77.
Berzins, J. I., & Ross, W. F. Locus of control among opiate addicts.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1973,40, 84–91.
Bruch, H.Eating disorders: Obesity, anorexia nervosa, and the person within. New York: Basic Books, 1973.
Crisp, A. H.Anorexia nervosa. New York: Grune and Stratton, 1980.
Crowne, D., & Marlowe, D.The approval motive. New York: Wiley, 1964.
Goldberg, S. C., Halmi, K. A., Casper, R., Eckert, E., & Davis, J. M. Pretreatment predictors of weight change in anorexia nervosa. In R. A. Vigersky (Ed.),Anorexia nervosa. New York: Raven Press, 1977.
Goss, A., & Morosko, T. E. Relation between a dimension of internal-external control and the MMPI with an alcoholic population.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1970,34, 189–192.
Harrow, M., & Ferrante, A. Locus of control in psychiatric patients.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1969,33, 582–589.
Hollingshead, A. G., & Redlich, F. C.Social class and mental illness. New York: Wiley, 1958.
Lefcourt, H. M.Locus of control: Current trends in theory and research. Hillsdale, New Jersey: Erlbaum, 1976.
Nowicki, S., & Strickland, B. R. A locus of control scale for children.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1973,40, 148–154.
Paiazzoli, M. S.Self-starvation. New York: Jason Aronson, 1978.
Phares, E. J.Locus of control in personality. Morristown, New Jersey: General Learning Press, 1976.
Rotter, J. B. Generalized expectancies for internal versus external control of reinforcement.Psychological Monographs, 1966, 80(1, Whole No. 609).
Russell, G. F. M. Anorexia nervosa: Its identity as an illness and its treatment. In J. H. Price (Ed.),Modern trends in psychological medicine. London: Butterworths, 1970.
Sours, J.Starving to death in a sea of objects: The anorexia nervosa syndrome. New York: Jason Aronson, 1980.
Strickland, B. R. Internal-external expectancies and health related behaviors.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1978,46, 1192–1211.
Strober, M. Personality and symptomalogical features in young, nonchronic anorexia nervosa patients.Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 1980,24, 353–359.
Vigersky, R. (Ed).Anorexia nervosa. New York: Raven Press, 1977.
Weiner, B., Frieze, I., Kukla, A., Reed., L., Rest, S., & Rosenbaum, R. M.Perceiving the causes of success and failure. New York: General Learning Press, 1971.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Strober, M. Locus of control, psychopathology, and weight gain in Juvenile anorexia nervosa. J Abnorm Child Psychol 10, 97–106 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00915954
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00915954