Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Department

Graduate Department of Clinical Psychology

First Advisor

Carylin Ellis, PsyD

Second Advisor

Rodger K. Bufford, PhD

Third Advisor

Scott Burkhart, PsyD

Abstract

The utility of the Eating Concerns (EAT) scale on the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory–3 (MMPI-3) was examined in a preoperative bariatric sample through comparisons with established measures and an assessment of internal consistency. Participants (N = 161) enrolled in a bariatric surgery program completed a comprehensive preoperative psychological evaluation that included the MMPI-3, the Three-Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ), and the Weight Efficacy Lifestyle Questionnaire–Short Form (WEL-SF). The EAT scale differentiated the disordered eating groups and showed moderate associations with the TFEQ-C, TFEQ-D, and WEL-SF. Within this sample, the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the EAT scale was lower than the alpha coefficient for the WEL-SF. These findings were consistent with much of the emerging literature on the clinical utility of the EAT scale in preoperative bariatric psychological assessment and extended that literature to previously unexamined measures. The results provided additional support for the clinical utility of the EAT scale in preoperative bariatric psychological assessment, although continued investigation is needed to clarify its generalizability within a field of assessment that lacks uniformity.

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