The sexual competition hypothesis for eating disorders
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 9617697 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Riadh T Abed, Riadh Abed (0000-0002-2746-8098, Sprint (United States), corresponding author) |
| Year | 1998 |
| Volume | 71 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 525-547 |
| Publication date | 1998-12-01 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | British Journal of Medical Psychology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0007-1129 • E-ISSN: 2056-5194 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/j.2044-8341.1998.tb01007.x |
| PMID | 9875960 |
| OpenAlex | W2025511793 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 15 |
| References cited | 13 |
A hypothesis is presented for eating disorders, based on Darwinian theory, that contends that these syndromes together with the phenomenon of the pursuit of thinness are manifestations of female intra‐sexual competition. It is suggested that eating disorders originate in the human female's psychological adaptation of concern about physical attractiveness which is an important component of female ‘mate attraction’ and ‘mate retention’ strategies. It is argued that present‐day environment of Western countries presents a range of conditions which have led to the overactivation or the disruption of the archaic female sexual strategy of maximizing ‘mate value’. The present hypothesis deals with the ultimate level of causation and is therefore compatible with a range of theories of proximate causation. Although the present hypothesis is not directly testable, it makes predictions that are testable and refutable. Finally it is suggested that the sexual competition hypothesis has more explanatory power than existing evolutionary theories of eating disorders
Attractiveness · Biology · Causation · Competition (biology) · Developmental psychology · Eating disorders · Epistemology · Evolutionary biology · Explanatory power · Physical attractiveness · Proximate and ultimate causation · Sexual attraction · Sexual behavior · Sexual selection · Clinical Psychology · Eating Disorders and Behaviors · Ecology · Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior · Psychology · Sexuality, Behavior, and Technology · Social Psychology
Anorexia
Intrasexual competition and eating restriction in heterosexual and homosexual individuals☆
Contribuições da perspectiva evolucionista para a compreensão do transtorno obsessivo-compulsivo
Evolution, Social Roles, and the Differences in Shame and Guilt
The utility of evolutionary psychology for generating novel, specific, and a priori hypotheses about psychopathology in a parsimonious fashion
Anorexia Nervosa
Eating Disorders
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An Evolutionary Perspective on Appearance Enhancement Behavior
The Value of Integrating Evolutionary and Sociocultural Perspectives on Body Image
Female competition
A Slim Majority
Anorexia
Sex Differences in Jealousy
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Fear and fitness
Social versus reproductive success
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Chattel
From vigilance to violence
The Social Competition Hypothesis of Depression
Sexual Strategies Theory
Sex differences in human mate preferences
Parental Investment and Sexual Selection
On the Universality of Human Nature and the Uniqueness of the Individual
Psychological sex differences
A Theory of Social Comparison Processes
| Unique citing works | 15 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,58 |
| Citation span | 2000 - 2023 (24) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 10 |