CAUSAL NETWORKS OF ATTACHMENT STYLE AND ORTHOREXIA NERVOSA

Abstract

The article presents a study of the influence of attachment style on orthorexia nervosa. The design is structured as follows: the exogenous variable of attachment styles influences the object of study in the form of the endogenous variable of orthorexia nervosa, which was studied through two levels of mediating interaction effects – through the influence of schema-modes on types of eating behavior, which then influence orthorexia nervosa. Orthorexia nervosa is considered through the prism of orthorexic modalities – types of orthorexia based on the principle of attitude towards the formation of eating habits (exclusion, accentuation, balancing, and periodization). In addition to representatives of orthorexic modality groups, respondents with other dietary needs (control groups) were included for comparison: those who practice fasting as part of any religious tradition, follow a therapeutic diet due to illness, use weight loss drugs, or do not follow any dietary restrictions. The study sample consisted of n = 467 respondents. Using structural equation modeling method (SEM), causal networks were constructed for each group in relation to their attachment style and type of eating behavior. Schema-modes were used as an intermediate mediating component for constructing regression equations. The results demonstrate that disorganized and avoidant attachment styles, as well as dysfunctional schema-modes, are key predictors of orthorexic behavior. They interact with types of eating behavior, forming complex mediating relationships that differ depending on orthorexic modality. Thus, it was found that orthorexia nervosa has a multifactorial nature, with emotional and cognitive factors formed as a result of attachment experiences and early maladaptive schemas playing a leading role.