Psychosomatic Medicine 21:277-280 (1959)
© 1959 American Psychosomatic Society

An Experimental Investigation of Sexual Symbolism in Anorexia Nervosa Employing a Subliminal Stimulation Technique

Preliminary Report

¹ Institute of Psychiatry, London

Certain aspects of the disorder known as anorexia nervosa have led theorists to postulate a relationship between ideas concerning food and ideas concerning sexuality for those patients. The study reported here represents an attempt to test this hypothesized association in an objective manner. The technique adopted was that of free association to words which were presented just below the threshold for "conscious" recognition.

The subliminal stimuli comprised either "neutral" or "sex" words, the prediction being that significantly more "food" responses would be evoked to the "sex" than to the "neutral" stimuli.

For the experimental subject, a 27-year-old woman diagnosed as a case of anorexia nervosa of long standing, the prediction was confirmed at an acceptable level of significance.

Certain difficulties arise in the interpretation of this finding, but the outcome not only lends support to the notion being tested, but suggests that the technique employed could be utilized in testing other hypothesized associations between supposed areas of conflict and symptoms.