ORCID

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8923-6911

Date of Award

Summer 2024

Language

English

Embargo Period

8-6-2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

College/School/Department

Department of Psychology

Program

Clinical Psychology

First Advisor

Julia Hormes

Committee Members

Drew Anderson, C. Alix Timko

Keywords

Cognitive Flexibility, Eating Disorders

Subject Categories

Clinical Psychology

Abstract

Cognitive inflexibility is an established transdiagnostic executive function deficit that maintains a wide array of psychiatric conditions. Eating disorders (ED) are serious, life-threatening conditions that remain underdiagnosed and understudied across diverse demographic groups. There is growing evidence for a role of cognitive inflexibility in driving hallmark ED symptoms, particularly in anorexia nervosa. Treatments targeting cognitive inflexibility may improve the currently poor outcomes of these conditions. To date, the role of cognitive inflexibility remains to be examined across demographically and diagnostically diverse ED groups. The first two studies presented here examine associations between cognitive inflexibility and symptom presentation in two relatively understudied ED diagnostic groups, namely avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (Study 1), and orthorexia nervosa (Study 2). The following two studies then evaluate associations between cognitive inflexibility and symptom presentation in two relatively understudied demographic groups at risk for disordered eating, namely men with drive for muscularity (Study 3), and pregnant women (Study 4). The last two studies address the current lack of valid, reliable, and easily administered assessments of cognitive flexibility suitable for use in diverse populations. Study 5 evaluates the psychometric properties of the Eating Disorder Flexibility Index (EDFLIX), the only current self-report measure of both general and ED-specific flexibility in the published literature. Study 6 is a preliminary investigation of the utility of salivary oxytocin and heart rate variability as novel biomarkers of cognitive inflexibility.

License

This work is licensed under the University at Albany Standard Author Agreement.

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