Body and appearance related self-conscious emotions in eating disorder

The aim of this study was to examine how seven body and appearance related self-conscious emotions, namely guilt, embarrassment, shame, envy, self-disgust, hubristic and authentic pride, are experienced, made sense of, and regulated in individuals with a diagnostic history of eating disorders and disordered eating behaviors and attitudes. In addition, it was also aimed to further investigate the role of these seven emotions in disordered eating behaviors and attitudes. In line with these aims, scenario-based semi-structured interviews were conducted with seven participants and the data were analyzed using content analysis. As a result of the analysis, six main themes were reached: triggers, emotional experiences, behavioral experiences, cognitive experiences, behavioral strategies and cognitive strategies. The findings were generally consistent with the existing literature and indicated that negative self-conscious emotions related to body and appearance are experienced with maladaptive cognitive and behavioral patterns in eating disorders. It was also found that perfectionism may play a role in inhibiting the positive outcomes of the experience of body-related authentic pride. However, the findings suggest that body and appearance related self-conscious emotions are regulated by both functional and dysfunctional strategies and that binge eating and food restriction behaviors are used as emotion regulation strategies. Keywords: Body Related Self Conscious Emotions, Eating Disorders, Emotion Regulation, Content Analysis