Attentional Bias Among Females With Weight-related Negative Physical Self Schema: Theoretical Model And Processing Rules

Negative physical self (NPS) is defined as the negative cognition, negative emotion and behavior-regulation to his/her own body. During the last 20 years, dozens of studies have focused on attentional bias toward body shape or foods among eating disorders patients and body image distorted individuals. It was reported that attentional bias to body or food related information is one of the risk factors and maintenance factors of eating disorders. So far, few have systematically investigated attentional bias toward body related information among individuals with NPS, and no theoretical model has been well established. Moreover, these researches seldom related to the brain and neural mechanism of the attentional bias. From a social cognitive point of view and by eye tracking and event-related potentials technique, this study aimed to explore the behavior and brain mechanism of attentional bias to body related information in the females with weight-related negative physical self schema, and also establish a theoretical model.Utilizing masked version of the dot probe task, Study 1 investigated subliminal processing of fatness and thinness related information. Study 2 investigated supraliminal processing of fatness and thinness related information. Study 3 explored cognitive resources mechanism of attentional bias toward body related information. Using rapid serial visual presentation and event related potentials, Study 4 investigated brain mechanism of attentional bias toward body related information. The results are as follows:Subliminal processing bias of fatness related information was observed among females with NPS schema, with an inhibition effect on impending behavioral reaction. Supraliminal attentional bias was also obtained with hypervigilance-maintenance pattern of fatness information and hypervigilance-avoidance pattern of thinness related information. Attentional disengagement was modulated by NPS, body mass index (BMI) and also the interaction of NPS and BMI. ERP component are modulated by NPS and body related words. Fatness related words elicited larger N1 amplitudes than thinness related and neutral words did only among females with NPS, which indicated a negative bias toward fatness related words in females with NPS. Thinness related words elicited smaller N220 amplitude at left sites and fatness related words elicited larger N220 amplitude at right sites only among females with NPS, indicating processing dissociation during perception.In light of the present results, we propose a dual processing and three stages model for understanding the behavior and brain mechanism of attentional bias toward body related information among females with NPS schema. Dual processing refers to NPS schema associative processes and NPS schema rule-based processes. Along the time course, three stages were divided, which were not completely independent but is interconnected. The first stage is negative bias stage. Schema related threat information could be processed with higher priority in the first stage. The second stage is advantage processing stage, during which body related information could be distinguished from others. The third stage is precise processing stage. Body related information could be further analyzed and rated on particular dimensions.