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Investigating The Effect of Cognitive Bias Modification on Body Image Satisfaction and Social Physique- Anxiety in Overweight Women Attending Fitness Clubs
Ali Pakizeh *1 , Yousef Dehghani2 , Negar Owji3 , Reza Abbasi4
1- Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, Persian Gulf University, Bushehr, Iran , pakizeh@pgu.ac.ir
2- Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, Persian Gulf University, Bushehr, Iran
3- M.A student, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, Persian Gulf University, Bushehr, Iran
4- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, Persian Gulf University, Boushehr, Iran
Abstract:   (22 Views)
The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of cognitive bias modification in relation to physical appearance on body image satisfaction and social somatic anxiety in obese women attending to sports clubs. Cognitive bias refers to systematic errors in thinking or decision-making that can occur as a result of defects in the way information is processed. These biases can affect our perception, judgment, and decision-making in a variety of ways, often leading to distorted or inaccurate conclusions. To achieve this goal, the statistical population consisted of all overweight women attending six fitness clubs in Shiraz during the first six months of 2023. From this population, 40 individuals were randomly selected and allocated into two groups of 20 using random assignment. One group, referred to as the experimental group, underwent cognitive bias modification related to physical appearance, while the other group, as the control group did not receive any intervention. The findings from data analysis indicate that cognitive bias modification related to physical appearance leads to an increase in body image satisfaction (F = 5.56, P < 0.01) and a reduction in social physique anxiety (F = 31.91, P < 0.001) among overweight women attending fitness clubs. According to the findings of the present study, the implementation of interventions aimed at modifying the cognitive biases of obese people towards physical appearance can not only have a preventive role against psychological disorders, but also have a facilitating role in achieving a normal weight by increasing physical activities. New research focused on identifying other cognitive biases in overweight people, correcting cognitive biases using interpretation methods, as well as comparing the effectiveness of these methods will pave the way for more effective interventions.
Keywords: Cognitive Bias Modification, Body Image, Social Physical- Anxiety
     
Type of Study: Research | Subject: Special
Received: 2025/01/28 | Revised: 2025/07/7 | Accepted: 2025/09/18 | ePublished ahead of print: 2025/10/5
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