The Role of Preoccupation with Appearance and Negative Perceptions of Others in Body Dysmorphic Disorder: a Research Paper

Body dysmorphic disorder is generally presented by three separate symptoms: preoccupation with physical appearance, similar to anorexia nervosa and bulimia; frequently looking in mirrors; and the belief that others take special notice of one’s appearance in a negative way. Use this sentence as your opening abstract and introduction statement (thesis statement). Research these three distinct elements using at least one recent, scholarly article per factor with populations found in the U.S. Demonstrate how they, separately and ultimately in concert, aid or impede the presentation of body dysmorphic disorder.

In other words, research why the three factors, individually and more often together, help or hinder an individual’s chances of exhibiting symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder. The research paper should be three pages in total, excluding the title and bibliography pages. You must use APA formatting for your paper.

Choosing an Article

You can conduct research on a topic in EBSCO Host or InfoTrac. When entering search criteria in one of the aforementioned databases, make sure to identify U.S. populations in addition to whatever descriptor (e.g. preoccupation with physical appearance, similarity to anorexia nervosa and bulimia, frequent checking in mirrors, and believing that others negatively focus on one’s appearance) you are researching. There are literally thousands of articles you can choose from. We suggest initiating your search by simply using “body dysmorphic disorder and preoccupation with physical appearance” as a starting criteria. Do a similar search on frequent mirror checking and the perception of others’ negative focus on one’s appearance. You need one scholarly article related to each factor that influences body dysmorphic disorder. Please remember that Wikipedia, Yahoo, Google, etc. are not valid databases.

Note: Some articles you find may cover more than one element. You will see how the combinations of any of these signs and symptoms significantly increase a person’s likelihood of having body dysmorphic disorder. You should definitely write about this phenomenon. Although this is often the case and should be noted, three separate scholarly articles must be referenced (one article per factor, totaling a minimum of three).

Abstracts

An abstract is a summation of a research article. When looking for articles, you will notice that before the introduction of the article you are reviewing, there is a small paragraph that sums up what the paper is about. This paragraph is a very brief collection of statements that identify introductory topics, samples, and conclusion-type information. These are read to see what the research was about and how it ended. Trust me; reading the article’s abstract should provide enough information to determine whether or not it would be good for incorporation. Abstracts can decrease research time by serving as determinants. Ensure your populations of study are located in the U.S.

Paper Format

You are, in essence, performing a secondary analysis of a disorder (body dysmorphic disorder). You must include an abstract with your paper. Papers should adhere to the general formatting guidelines (12 font, double-spaced, Times New Roman, etc.). Follow the textual examples and the “pictorial overview” (outlined by pictures) as guides for positioning your headings appropriately, as well as what to include in your conclusion.

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