Article Version of Record

Autonomy and submissiveness as cognitive and cultural factors influencing eating disorders in Italy and Sweden: An exploratory study

Author(s) / Creator(s)

Sassaroli, Sandra
Veronese, Guido
Nevonen, Lauri
Fiore, Francesca
Centorame, Franceso
Favaretto, Ettore
Ruggiero, Giovanni Maria

Abstract / Description

The aim of this exploratory study was to investigate the correlation between cultural and psychological factors in relation to predicting eating disorders in two different non-clinical Italian (n = 61) and Swedish (n = 31) female populations, thought to have different cultures and lifestyles. The Swedish sample would reflect an emancipated model of women pursuing autonomy and freedom but also an ideal of thinness, while the Italian sample would reflect a difficult transition from traditional submissiveness to modern autonomy. Both groups completed self-report instruments assessing cultural values (e.g., collectivism and individualism) and features of eating disorders (e.g., drive for thinness, bulimia, body dissatisfaction, self-esteem, parental criticism and perfectionism). Swedish women were found to display higher levels of bulimia, perfectionism, and individualism than Italian women, while regression analysis showed that in the Italian sample high levels of collectivism were correlated with measures of EDs. The results support the hypothesis that EDs are linked with both modern values of autonomy, independence and emancipation, and situations of cultural transition in which women are simultaneously exposed to traditional models of submission and opportunities for emancipation and autonomy.

Keyword(s)

eating disorders culture collectivism individualism

Persistent Identifier

Date of first publication

2015-05-29

Journal title

Europe's Journal of Psychology

Volume

11

Issue

2

Page numbers

233–243

Publisher

PsychOpen GOLD

Publication status

publishedVersion

Review status

peerReviewed

Is version of

Citation

Sassaroli, S., Veronese, G., Nevonen, L., Fiore, F., Centorame, F., Favaretto, E., & Ruggiero, G. M. (2015). Autonomy and submissiveness as cognitive and cultural factors influencing eating disorders in Italy and Sweden: An exploratory study. Europe's Journal of Psychology, 11(2), 233–243. https://doi.org/10.5964/ejop.v11i2.902
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Sassaroli, Sandra
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Veronese, Guido
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Nevonen, Lauri
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Fiore, Francesca
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Centorame, Franceso
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Favaretto, Ettore
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Ruggiero, Giovanni Maria
  • PsychArchives acquisition timestamp
    2018-11-21T09:59:23Z
  • Made available on
    2018-11-21T09:59:23Z
  • Date of first publication
    2015-05-29
  • Abstract / Description
    The aim of this exploratory study was to investigate the correlation between cultural and psychological factors in relation to predicting eating disorders in two different non-clinical Italian (n = 61) and Swedish (n = 31) female populations, thought to have different cultures and lifestyles. The Swedish sample would reflect an emancipated model of women pursuing autonomy and freedom but also an ideal of thinness, while the Italian sample would reflect a difficult transition from traditional submissiveness to modern autonomy. Both groups completed self-report instruments assessing cultural values (e.g., collectivism and individualism) and features of eating disorders (e.g., drive for thinness, bulimia, body dissatisfaction, self-esteem, parental criticism and perfectionism). Swedish women were found to display higher levels of bulimia, perfectionism, and individualism than Italian women, while regression analysis showed that in the Italian sample high levels of collectivism were correlated with measures of EDs. The results support the hypothesis that EDs are linked with both modern values of autonomy, independence and emancipation, and situations of cultural transition in which women are simultaneously exposed to traditional models of submission and opportunities for emancipation and autonomy.
    en_US
  • Publication status
    publishedVersion
  • Review status
    peerReviewed
  • Citation
    Sassaroli, S., Veronese, G., Nevonen, L., Fiore, F., Centorame, F., Favaretto, E., & Ruggiero, G. M. (2015). Autonomy and submissiveness as cognitive and cultural factors influencing eating disorders in Italy and Sweden: An exploratory study. Europe's Journal of Psychology, 11(2), 233–243. https://doi.org/10.5964/ejop.v11i2.902
  • ISSN
    1841-0413
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12034/949
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.1141
  • Language of content
    eng
  • Publisher
    PsychOpen GOLD
  • Is version of
    https://doi.org/10.5964/ejop.v11i2.902
  • Keyword(s)
    eating disorders
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    culture
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    collectivism
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    individualism
    en_US
  • Dewey Decimal Classification number(s)
    150
  • Title
    Autonomy and submissiveness as cognitive and cultural factors influencing eating disorders in Italy and Sweden: An exploratory study
    en_US
  • DRO type
    article
  • Issue
    2
  • Journal title
    Europe's Journal of Psychology
  • Page numbers
    233–243
  • Volume
    11
  • Visible tag(s)
    Version of Record