Social Rank and Rejection Sensitivity as Mediators of the Relationship between Insecure Attachment and Disordered Eating

Abstract

Aim: The current study assessed a new interpersonal model for eating disorders (EDs), in which interpersonal rejection sensitivity (RS), appearance-based RS and social rank were hypothesised to mediate the relationship between insecure attachment and disordered eating. Method: The sample comprised a clinical ED group (N = 122) and a control group (N = 622). Participants were asked to complete a number of self-report measures related to the variables of interest. Results: Invariance testing indicated that the model was structurally non-invariant (different across groups). For the ED group, appearance-based RS and social rank were significant mediators of the relationship between insecure atta..