Anorexia nervosa social learning theory

Social environment

Rather than just the individual, it states that we model our own behavior based on what is seen and experienced.

Western influences

Cultural depictions of beauty often revolve around being thin, especially in fashion and media

Role models

Young girls are vulnerable to imitating cultural role models, leading them to thinking that ‘thinness’ is the only standard for beauty, value, and worth.

Vicarious reinforcement

These role models are often celebrities and models who seem to be happy, rich, and successful. Many young people may feel they can achieve the same type of lifestyle and levels of happiness by imitating this behavior.

Society often compliments individuals if they seem to lose weight, reinforcing the behavior and lead people to repeat it, causing anorexia.

Kleen and Klump (2003)

Conducted cross-cultural research, finding that anorexia nervosa is actually found in all of the cultures, but the frequency increases proportionally to the degree of the influence of western ideals.