Looking in the Mirror: Vocal Arousal and Affective Reactions during
Mirror Exposure in Women with Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa
Abstract
Objectives: Although mirror exposure improves treatment
outcomes in women with eating disorders, it remains uncertain how the
cognitive, emotional, and physiological reactions evoked by this
technique differ between women with anorexia nervosa and women with
bulimia nervosa. Moreover, it is unclear whether vocal arousal is a
psychophysiological correlate of these reactions and how the specific
emotions elicited by looking at one’s body change during mirror
exposure. Methods: Thus, a total of N = 136 women (
n = 39 with anorexia nervosa, n = 24 with bulimia nervosa,
and n = 73 healthy controls) first underwent a non-activating
baseline, followed by a mirror exposure condition with the task to
freely describe aloud arising thoughts and feelings towards their body.
Self-reported arousal, emotional valence, and specific emotions were
assessed before, in the middle of, and after each condition.
Furthermore, we analyzed fundamental frequency ( f0
mean) as a marker of vocally encoded emotional arousal.
Results: Women with both forms of eating disorder showed
stronger increases in self-reported arousal and equally high levels of
f0 mean in contrast to women without eating
disorders. Fear increased in all women, while guilt, hostility, and
sadness only increased in women with eating disorders.
Conclusion: In sum, findings suggest heightened emotional
activation and vocal arousal evoked by mirror exposure, particularly in
women with eating disorders. In mirror exposure therapy, addressing
varied body-related emotions alongside fear might enhance therapeutic
success.