Body Checking in Women with High and Low Shape and Weight Concerns. Arousal and Negative Emotional Valence in the Course of a Checking-Behavior Episode

Background: According to theories of eating disorders, the maintenance of body checking (BC) behavior is associated with two divergent cognitive-affective processes, i.e. increases in arousal versus decreases in negative emotional valence. Objective: To replicate an online study investigating whether BC is associated with both postulated processes and examining the relevance of the subjective attractiveness of the controlled body parts. Methods: 125 women with high versus low shape and weight concerns rated their level of arousal and negative emotional valence in remembered BC episodes of subjectively most unattractive and attractive body parts. Results: Increases in arousal and decreases in negative emotional valence only occurred in highly concerned women in BC episodes of subjectively most unattractive body parts. Conclusions: Both postulated processes were confirmed.