Local and global visual processing and eating disorder traits: An event-related potential study

• We investigated local and global visual processing in groups with low and high eating disorder (ED) traits.
• Behavioural performance on the Navon task of local and global visual processing was the same in the low and high ED groups.
• Electrophysiological results in the high ED group showed an enhanced P3 amplitude during local processing, and an enhanced P1 amplitude during local incompatible processing.
• The electrophysiological findings suggest that eating disorders may be associated with increased local visual processing.

Recent studies have suggested that individuals with eating disorders show a stronger local processing bias and/or a weaker global bias in visual processing than typical individuals. In this study, healthy participants with varying scores on the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) performed the Navon task, a standard task of local and global visual processing, whilst electrophysiological measures were recorded. Global stimuli were presented that were made up of many local parts, and the information between levels was either compatible or incompatible. Participants were instructed to report the identity of either a global or a local target shape, while ignoring the other level. Higher EDE-Q scores were associated with enhanced amplitude of the P3 component during local visual processing, as well as greater P1 amplitude during local incompatible trials. These findings support the claim that eating disorders are associated with differences in local and global visual processing.