Systemizing, Empathizing, and Autistic Traits in Relation to Eating Disorder Symptomatology

The purpose of this study was to look at the relationship between systemizing, empathizing, and autistic traits among participants with eating disorder symptomatology and a comparison group. It was hypothesized that participants with eating disorder symptoms would score higher on a scale measuring autistic traits and systemizing traits, and lower on a scale measuring empathizing traits than the comparison group. Additionally, it was hypothesized that higher levels of eating disorder symptomatology would be associated with higher levels of autistic traits and systemizing traits and lower levels of empathizing traits. Participants were recruited from eating disorder treatment facilities, online eating disorder communities, and from a university setting. Results indicated that participants in the eating disorder symptomatology group did not score significantly differently than participants in the comparison group on scales of autism, systemizing or empathizing (p \u3e .05)