Meta-analytic prospective associations between self-esteem and eating disorders appear to be spurious: a reanalysis and comment on Krauss et al. (2023)
In a recent meta-analysis, Krauss et al. found support for a reciprocal model of low self-esteem and eating disorders where, in a vicious circle, low self-esteem makes people more vulnerable to developing eating disorders and eating disorders, in turn, scars individuals’ self-esteem. However, in the...
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1463701/full |
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| author | Kimmo Sorjonen Ata Ghaderi Bo Melin |
| author_facet | Kimmo Sorjonen Ata Ghaderi Bo Melin |
| author_sort | Kimmo Sorjonen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In a recent meta-analysis, Krauss et al. found support for a reciprocal model of low self-esteem and eating disorders where, in a vicious circle, low self-esteem makes people more vulnerable to developing eating disorders and eating disorders, in turn, scars individuals’ self-esteem. However, in the present reanalyses of the same meta-analytic data, we found that the prospective effects between self-esteem and eating disorders are likely spurious, meaning they do not reflect a true causal effect, but rather correlations with residuals and regression to the mean. Consequently, the claims by Krauss et al. can be challenged. To avoid statistical artifacts, we recommend researchers to fit, as we did in the present study, complementary models to their data in order to evaluate if prospective effects may be genuinely increasing or decreasing or if they appear to be spurious. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d6fe062dce124dacafabdc2e3927d1f4 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj-art-d6fe062dce124dacafabdc2e3927d1f42025-02-07T06:49:40ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782025-02-011610.3389/fpsyg.2025.14637011463701Meta-analytic prospective associations between self-esteem and eating disorders appear to be spurious: a reanalysis and comment on Krauss et al. (2023)Kimmo SorjonenAta GhaderiBo MelinIn a recent meta-analysis, Krauss et al. found support for a reciprocal model of low self-esteem and eating disorders where, in a vicious circle, low self-esteem makes people more vulnerable to developing eating disorders and eating disorders, in turn, scars individuals’ self-esteem. However, in the present reanalyses of the same meta-analytic data, we found that the prospective effects between self-esteem and eating disorders are likely spurious, meaning they do not reflect a true causal effect, but rather correlations with residuals and regression to the mean. Consequently, the claims by Krauss et al. can be challenged. To avoid statistical artifacts, we recommend researchers to fit, as we did in the present study, complementary models to their data in order to evaluate if prospective effects may be genuinely increasing or decreasing or if they appear to be spurious.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1463701/fullcross-lagged effectseating disordersmeta-analysisoverinterpretation of findingsreanalysisself-esteem |
| spellingShingle | Kimmo Sorjonen Ata Ghaderi Bo Melin Meta-analytic prospective associations between self-esteem and eating disorders appear to be spurious: a reanalysis and comment on Krauss et al. (2023) Frontiers in Psychology cross-lagged effects eating disorders meta-analysis overinterpretation of findings reanalysis self-esteem |
| title | Meta-analytic prospective associations between self-esteem and eating disorders appear to be spurious: a reanalysis and comment on Krauss et al. (2023) |
| title_full | Meta-analytic prospective associations between self-esteem and eating disorders appear to be spurious: a reanalysis and comment on Krauss et al. (2023) |
| title_fullStr | Meta-analytic prospective associations between self-esteem and eating disorders appear to be spurious: a reanalysis and comment on Krauss et al. (2023) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Meta-analytic prospective associations between self-esteem and eating disorders appear to be spurious: a reanalysis and comment on Krauss et al. (2023) |
| title_short | Meta-analytic prospective associations between self-esteem and eating disorders appear to be spurious: a reanalysis and comment on Krauss et al. (2023) |
| title_sort | meta analytic prospective associations between self esteem and eating disorders appear to be spurious a reanalysis and comment on krauss et al 2023 |
| topic | cross-lagged effects eating disorders meta-analysis overinterpretation of findings reanalysis self-esteem |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2025.1463701/full |
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