£12 Amazon voucher or 3 hours of course credit (course credit for psychology students only). 

Email lucy.stafford@york to take part or sign up via SONA

Purpose:

This study is designed to explore the link between body sensations and body image- the size we perceive our body to be and how we (dis)satisfied we feel about it in- people with restrictive disordered eating. We have already collected data from non-restrictive eaters. 

What the study involves:

The study is made up of 2 parts over 2 different days. You book part 1 on SONA and part 2 is organised with you via email. You cannot take part in this study if:

-You have had eating disorder treatment in the last 6 months (in or outpatient)- this is a protective measure

-You are pregnant

-You have diabetes (type 1 or 2)

-You have a heart condition

-You have a food allergy

-You have a current or historic diagnosis of a gastric disorder or think you might have one.

-Have a history of fainting

-Have a history of seizures

-Do NOT have restrictive disordered eating

Session 1 (IN-PERSON, 30 mins): For session 1, you need to have eaten two hours before. This is to make sure your body is in a neutral state, rather than hungry or full. During the session, you will complete a battery of tasks and questionnaires concerning your body image, body sensations, eating behaviours, habits, and questions related to autistic traits. Measuring your height and weight is optional. If you agree to be measured, we will cover the scale so the reading remains hidden from view. If you prefer not to be weighed or measured, you may provide an estimate instead. You will be asked to estimate your waist circumference using a piece of string. An experimenter will measure your waist circumference and shoulder width using a piece of string. This session could take up to 30 minutes.

Session 2 (IN-PERSON, 1 hour): Session 2 will take place 1 day apart from session 1. You will be asked when the largest gap between eating times is and be told to come into the lab 1 hour before then. This is so you come into the lab in a hungry state. You need to bring a snack with you to have after this session- you will be sent reminders about this. However, if you forget it, we can provide you with one at the end of the experiment. During the session, you will drink water from a water bottle to change how your stomach feels and complete a battery of tasks and questionnaires that ask about your body image, body sensations, and how well you think you performed in this experiment. You will be asked to estimate your waist circumference using a piece of string. An experimenter will then measure your waist circumference using a piece of string. This session could take up to 1 hour. You will be handed a sports drink containing electrolytes and if you have not brought a snack with you, you will be offered plain biscuits/crackers.

This study uses tasks and materials that ask you to reflect on the negative thoughts you have about your body, how it feels, and your eating behaviour. We will ask to weigh you OR you can provide an estimate of your weight measure your waist circumference and shoulder width. This might make you feel negatively about your body or eating behaviours. If you think these tasks and materials might negatively affect you, please do not take part in this study. You are also free to stop the study at any time before completion without providing a reason.

No individual feedback on performance will be given. The questionnaires and tasks used in this study cannot be used as a clinical assessment or to provide a diagnosis.

In total, the study could take up to 2 hours. 

£10 Amazon voucher or 2 hours of course credit (course credit for psychology students only). 

Email lucy.stafford@york to take part or sign up via SONA (non-pregnant) and SONA (pregnant)

Purpose:

This study is designed to find out what happens in the brain during pregnancy and how this relates to feelings toward the baby and feelings towards pregnancy related body changes. If you are pregnant, you will be forming our population-of-interest group. If you are not pregnant, you are forming our control group. 

What the study involves:

You will visit YNiC for one hour and a half. We will first set up the MEG system. This involves wearing a special helmet that has sensors embedded in it. We use a camera-based system to record the sensor positions and will also place additional sensors on your abdomen. The study will involve independent tasks that will be conducted within the same session each lasting approximately 3 minutes. During two of the tasks, you will be presented with a series of images of infants, some of whom are distressed. You are asked to attend to these images without having to make any responses. In another task you will be presented with images of gratings (dark and light stripes on screen). Again, you will be asked to passively attend to these images. For the remaining tasks you will be asked to close your eyes and attend either to your own thoughts, your own heartbeats, and sensations coming from your abdomen. You would then complete some questionnaires that ask how you feel about the sensations you get from your body and how you feel about your bodily appearance, and finally for some demographic information (like age). We may repeat some of the tasks if you feel happy to do so. You might be asked to complete these experimental tasks in any order. 

You have been invited to take part because you are 18-46 years old and were assigned female at birth and DO NOT/HAVE NOT

-have any psychiatric conditions or are on psychoactive medications

-have a history of or current epilepsy

-have a history of drug or alcohol abuse, neurological, psychiatric or sleep disorders

-Smoke

-had any alcoholic drinks before this session (last 12 hours)

-have metal in your body that cannot be removed

-have a high risk pregnancy 

-pregnant with multiple foetuses

-in the first trimester 

£12 Amazon voucher of 3 hours of course credit (course credit for psychology students only). 

Take part in a low-effort, relaxed experiment on body sensations and body image! This study is made up of 2 parts in-person and 1-part online, scheduled for 3 different days. 

Email lucy.stafford@york to take part or sign up via SONA. 

Purpose:

Investigating the link between body sensations and body image. We think this will be informative regarding eating disorders, but first we want to test a non-clinical population- people who are both physically and psychologically healthy. If this is you, you fill form our control group.

What the study involves:

Session 1 (IN-PERSON): For session 1, you need to have eaten two hours before. During the session, you will complete a battery of tasks and questionnaires concerning your body image, body sensations, and eating behaviours . Your weight and height will be measured. An experimenter will measure your waist circumference and shoulder width using a piece of string. This session could take up to 30 minutes.

Session 2 (IN-PERSON): Session 2 will take place 1 day apart from session 1 after 12 hours of overnight fasting from food and any beverages that are NOT water. Please refrain from drinking water 2 hours before session 2 starts. Session 2 will take place in the morning. If you feel faint at any point of the fast, please eat and drink something. During the session, you will drink water from a water bottle to change how your stomach feels and complete a battery of tasks and questionnaires that ask about your body image, body sensations, and how well you think you performed in this experiment. An experimenter will measure your waist circumference using a piece of string. At the end of the session, you will also be asked for your age, ethnicity, gender identity, and highest educational level in a questionnaire on a laptop. This session could take up to 1 hour. 

Session 3 (ONLINE): You will be emailed an online survey to complete a questionnaire about how you feel about the gastric sensations you experience in relation to hunger, satiation, and fullness. This could take up to 10 minutes.

You have been invited to take part because you are 18 years or older and are NOT pregnant and do NOT:

-Have diabetes (type 1 or 2)

-Have a heart condition

-Have a food allergy

-Have a current or historic diagnosis of a gastric disorder or think you might have one.

-Have a current or historic diagnosis of an eating disorder or think you might have one.

-Have a current or historic diagnosis of body dysmorphic disorder or think you have it.

-Have a current or historic diagnosis of an anxiety disorder or think you might have one

-Have a current or historic diagnosis of depression or think you might have it

-Have a current or historic diagnosis of night eating syndrome or think you have it.

-Have a history of fainting

-Have a history of seizures

This study has full ethical approval from the University of York Psychology Ethics Committee (ref: 202417). 

Purpose:

To refine a new scale that has been developed to assess how we feel about sensations that come from our stomach; gastric interoception.

This research has received support with recruitment from Crohn's Disease UK, Crohn's and Colitis UK, SWEDA, The Laurence Trust, Wednesday's Child, National Centre for Eating Disorders, and BodyWhys. The results of this study will be communicated to them once the analysis has been finalised. Many thanks to these organisations for their support! 

What the study involves:

Completing an online survey which asks you for some demographic information, and to fill in questionnaires that ask you about your disorder (if you have one), sensations that come from your body, and sensations that come from your stomach. You will also be asked if you would like to complete the new questionnaire AGAIN a week later. 

You get:

-1 course credit (if you sign up via SONA). Course credit is for University of York psychology students only. In order to be automatically be redirected to the study on SONA, you must log in as a participant. Access the survey via SONA below if you would like credits:

-SONA link/title for the study if you identify as having an eating disorder : *1CC and prize draw for £50 voucher* Gastric interoception survey: Eating disorder population

-SONA link/title for the study if you identify as having a gastric disorder: *1CC and prize draw for £50 voucher* Gastric interoception survey: Gastric disorder population 

-SONA link/title if you identify as having neither disorder: *1CC and prize draw for £50 voucher* Gastric interoception survey: no-disorder population (NOW CLOSED)

-Entered into a £50 Amazon voucher prize draw (if you complete the survey again a week later)

Eligibility: 

• Are aged 18 plus 

• Identify as having a gastric disorder (have a current diagnosis or think you have a disorder) 

• Identify as having an eating disorder (have a current diagnosis or think you have a disorder) 

• Identify as having NO eating or gastric disorder 

• Are fluent in English 

• Live in the UK or the Republic of Ireland 

No proof of formal diagnosis needed- we recognise eating disorders and gastric disorders can be experienced without an official diagnosis. 

If you are not a University of York student who wants to sign up via SONA, you can alternatively complete the survey by clicking on the links below.