Normative feedback and intentions to help friends with bulimic symptoms.

The current study examined accuracy in estimating campus norms for eating disorder (ED) pathology and the impact of normative feedback on intentions to help friends. The sample included 130 undergraduate women. Participants estimated prevalence of ED pathology and were randomly assigned to normative feedback or a control condition. Vignettes were presented describing bulimic and sleep disorder symptoms. After presentation of each vignette, participants reported sympathy for and intentions to help friends with similar symptoms. Nine ED pathology estimates were significantly higher than comparison values documented in a larger survey of women attending their university in the previous year. Those who received normative feedback reported lower intentions to help and lower sympathy for a student with bulimic symptoms compared to sleep disorder symptoms. Results raise the possibility that normative feedback could reduce support for friends with bulimic symptoms.