Perception of Time by Individuals With Eating Disorders

The objective of the study was to determine how patients with eating disorders perceive time, and in particular whether their experience of time differs from that of healthy individuals. Another goal was to examine the relationship between the mood of the subjects and their time perspective. The subjects were 30 women with eating disorders and 30 age-matched healthy female controls. The three measures applied were: the Time Metaphors Questionnaire by Sobol-Kwapinska, the Time Perspective Inventory by Zimbardo, and the UWIST Mood Adjective Checklist (UMACL) by Matthews et al.

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Key information

Conditions

Feeding and Eating Disorders Mental Disorders Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms, Digestive

Age range

18 year–40 year

Sex eligibility

Female

Study type

Observational

About this study

The objective of the study was to determine how individuals with eating disorders perceive time, and in particular whether their experience of time differs from that of healthy persons. Another aim was to investigate the relationship between the mood of the subjects and their time perception as well as determine a variable moderating that relationship.

First, it was expected that eating-disordered patients experience time as a rather aversive and unfriendly force marked with chaos and void, in contrast to healthy subjects, who were predicted to treat it as something more friendly, appreciating its subtleties and the significance of the moment (Hypothesis 1).

Moreover, it was expected that individuals with eating disorders would exhibit a more negative temporal orientation, whether past or present, as compared to healthy controls, who would reveal more positive past, present, or future orientations (Hypothesis 2).

Finally, it was predicted that eating disorders moderate the relationship between mood and time perception (Hypothesis 3).

The study encompassed 30 women with eating disorders (19 patients with anorexia nervosa and 11 patients with bulimia nervosa) and 30 age-matched normal healthy controls. The clinical group consisted of patients of the residential eating disorder therapeutic center "Drzewo zycia" in Malawa as well as some outpatient clinics in Poland; some of the patients were not being actively treated at the time of the study. The controls included psychology students from two Polish universities (the Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski University and the University of Finance and Management, both in Warsaw), as well as researchers and educators who volunteered for the study.

The three measures applied in the study were:

The Time Metaphors Questionnaire by Sobol-Kwapinska;
Time Perspective Inventory by Zimbardo (Zimbardo & Boyd, 1999; see also Zimbardo & Boyd, 2009);
The UWIST Mood Adjective Checklist (UMACL) (Matthews at al.; see also Gorynska, 2005).

Who can participate

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Clinical diagnosis of eating disorders (anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa)
Age between 18 and 40 years

Exclusion criteria

diagnosis of other (except eating disorders) mental disorder
Age below 18 years and above 40 years

Treatment and study plan

questionnaires

Other

The three questionnaires applied were: the Time Metaphors Questionnaire by Sobol-Kwapinska, the Time Perspective Inventory by Zimbardo, and the UWIST Mood Adjective Checklist (UMACL) by Matthews et al.

Primary outcomes

The Time Metaphors Questionnaire by Sobol-Kwapińska

Time frame: 1.05.2014-30.06.2017

The measure consists of 95 items formulated as metaphors describing ideas eliciting strong emotions. The subjects are asked to rate the items on a scale from 1 to 4, depending on the degree to which a given metaphor is consistent with their perception of time. The items are grouped into 3 scales reflecting positive attitudes to time: Friendly Time (subdivided into two subscales: Constructive Time and Pleasant Time), Significance of the Moment, and Subtle Time, as well as four scales covering negative attitudes to time: Hostile Time (with three subscales: Finiteness of Time, Bitter Time, and Confusion in Time), Rapid Passage of Time, Wild Time, and Empty Time. The questionnaire reveals satisfactory reliability and validity.
Time Perspective Inventory by Zimbardo

Time frame: 1.05.2014-30.06.2017

The measure consists of 56 items which the respondents rate on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (very uncharacteristic of me) to 5 (very characteristic of me). The questionnaire tests 5 time perspectives: 1) Past-Negative, 2) Past-Positive, 3) Present-Hedonistic, 4) Present-Fatalistic, and 5) Future. The Polish version of this instrument has been reported to have both good reliability and validity.
Transcendental Future Time Perspective Inventory

Time frame: 1.05.2014-30.06.2017

This is a one-dimensional scale that consists of 10 items which the respondents rate on a 5-point scale ranging from 1 (very uncharacteristic of me) to 5 (very characteristic of me). It is used to assess individual attitudes and beliefs regarding the future, immediately following the imagined death of the physical body.
The UWIST Mood Adjective Checklist (UMACL) by Matthews et al.

Time frame: 1.05.2014-30.06.2017

The instrument measures mood understood as an affective experience of a duration of at least several minutes; its three scales are Tense Arousal, Energetic Arousal, and Hedonic Tone. The UMACL consists of a list of 29 adjectives which the respondents rate in terms of applicability to their current mood on a four-point scale from definitely yes to definitely not. The reliability and validity of the Polish adaptation has been confirmed.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Malgorzata Starzomska

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Stuck in Painful Time: Perception of Time by Individuals With Eating Disorders

Important dates

Study start: 2014
Primary completion: 2017
Study completion: 2017
First posted: Nov 30, 2018
Registry last updated: Nov 30, 2018

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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Completed