Anorexia readiness syndrome and sensitivity to body boundaries breaches

Abstract

Abstract Our study tests the relationships between the anorexia readiness syndrome (ARS) and the sense of body boundaries as well as sensitivity to breaches of self boundaries. Conducted among 120 young females aged 18–24, the study was based on three questionnaires: the Eating Attitudes Questionnaire, the Sense of Body Boundaries Questionnaire, and the Self Boundaries Sensitivity Scale. Two groups were used for comparative analyses, each consisting of 30 participants with either high or low ARS intensity. The results showed high-ARS intensity individuals to have a weaker body boundary sense, a weaker sense of being separate from the environment, and a stronger sense of their bodies’ permeability boundaries, as well as being overly-sensitive to breaches in their social self boundaries. The groups showed no significant differences with respect to sensitivity to breaches in their bodily and spatial-symbolic selves.