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Table 3 Q-set statements and factor array

From: Uncontrollable behavior or mental illness? Exploring constructions of bulimia using Q methodology

Item

Factor

A

B

C

D

E

F

1

People with bulimia are distressed by their symptoms.

2

2

−1

1

0

0

2

Individuals with bulimia are victims of their disorder.

0

3

3

2

−1

1

3

Bulimia is a disease that gets worse over time.

4

0

−2

1

3

−1

4

People with bulimia don’t know why they binge and purge.

3

−1

−1

−1

0

0

5

For those with bulimia, food is a means of escape.

−3

2

3

−1

−1

2

6

A person with bulimia attempts to improve their mood by eating.

−3

0

4

0

0

0

7

Bulimia might start as a way for a person to express feelings they are afraid to deal with.

1

1

1

1

0

1

8

People with bulimia are afraid of living without their condition.

0

0

−2

0

−1

2

9

Binging and then purging might give a person with bulimia a sense of control.

−1

3

1

0

1

3

10

Many people with bulimia have experienced some sort of past trauma.

0

1

−1

1

−2

0

11

Bulimia is getting to eat what you want and still stay thin.

−2

−1

−2

−3

3

1

12

Bulimia is something someone might try out after hearing about it e.g. on TV, social media, friends.

2

−2

0

0

1

3

13

A person with bulimia could stop their behaviors if they really wanted to.

−4

−4

2

0

−1

−3

14

People with bulimia have failed to get anorexia.

−2

−3

−3

−2

−2

−1

15

Bulimia is a lifestyle choice.

−3

−4

−3

0

−2

1

16

People with bulimia want to recover.

3

0

0

1

1

−2

17

In bulimia, binging and purging are ways of punishing yourself.

1

4

−1

−1

2

−1

18

People with bulimia are success-orientated, seeking physical and mental control.

−2

1

1

−2

4

1

19

Dieting only develops into bulimia when a person has other predisposing characteristics.

0

−2

0

0

−1

4

20

Individuals with bulimia use food like addicts use drugs.

−1

1

2

−1

−2

−2

21

Binging is a sign of weakness in people with bulimia.

−2

−1

−1

0

0

−2

22

People with bulimia are obsessed with being thin.

1

0

1

2

1

0

23

People with bulimia are impulsive.

−1

1

−2

−1

−3

−1

24

People with bulimia are self-centered.

−3

−3

−1

−2

0

−3

25

Recovering from bulimia requires having self-control.

2

0

2

1

1

1

26

Purging after eating a big or fattening meal is no big deal.

−1

−3

0

−4

−4

−1

27

Bulimia is an understandable response in a society with lots of high calorie foods.

0

0

0

−2

−2

−3

28

Bulimia is an extreme example of the weight and eating concerns that affect many women in our society.

3

2

3

3

3

0

29

Bulimia is very different from dieting and normal concerns about shape and weight.

1

2

0

3

0

−2

30

Nobody really knows what normal eating, or a healthy relationship with food, is.

2

−1

−2

−2

−3

3

31

Society probably underestimates the number of men who have bulimia.

2

3

1

2

1

4

32

Bulimia occurs because our whole society has an attitude that supports eating disorders.

−1

−1

2

−3

3

0

33

Bulimia is more common in women because our culture puts more pressure on them to be thin.

1

1

4

4

4

2

34

Bulimia is something to be ashamed of.

−1

−2

−4

−3

0

−4

35

Bulimia is more socially acceptable than anorexia nervosa.

−4

−2

0

−1

−3

3

36

Bulimia is not that serious.

−2

−3

−4

−4

−3

−4

37

People with bulimia trade health for looking good.

1

−1

0

2

2

−1

38

Media portrayals of an ‘ideal’ body shape contribute to the occurrence of bulimia.

3

2

2

4

2

2

39

Our society’s increased focus on physical appearance will likely lead to a rise in bulimia in men.

0

3

1

2

−1

−2

40

Bulimia is not just a women’s problem.

4

0

3

3

2

0

41

Bulimia is biological in nature.

0

−2

−3

−3

−4

−3

42

Bulimia is a mental illness.

0

4

−3

3

2

2

  1. Bolded scores are for statements with normalized factor scores ≥ ±1.4, indicating the most powerful exemplars for each factor.