K. Jean Forney

Recent News
Education
Ph.D., Clinical Psychology, Florida State University, 2018
M.S., Clinical Psychology, Florida State University, 2013
B.A., Psychology, Miami University, 2011
Research
Dr. Forney is accepting new graduate students.
Research interests include risk and maintenance factors for eating disorders across psychological, social, and physiological domains. Dr. Forney is accepting new graduate students.
Research Interests
Dr. Forney’s research program addresses questions about the risk factors for and the maintenance of eating pathology, with the ultimate aim of informing intervention efforts. In doing so, she utilizes both non-clinical and clinical samples to examine the interaction of risk and maintenance factors across psychological, social, behavioral, and physiological domains. Dr. Forney addresses these questions through two lines of research: one line examining social risk factors for eating pathology and a second line examining the maintenance of extreme weight control behaviors. Ongoing and upcoming projects are examining social influences in treatment settings, satiation’s role in extreme weight control behaviors, and the validity and correlates of the atypical anorexia nervosa diagnosis.
Featured Links
Grants and Research Funding
National Research Service Award, National Institute of Mental Health (F31-MH105082), Longitudinal Follow-up of Purging Syndromes: Outcome and Predictors; Award Amount: $85,251; 2015- 2017;
PI: K. Jean Forney
Experiment.com Crowdfunding, Long-Term Outcome of Women with Purging Disorder, Award Amount: $3000; 2014
PI: K. Jean Forney
Journal Publications
Jennings, K. M., Anaya, C., Rambur, B., Bodell, L. P., Graham, A. K., Forney, K. J., Anam, S., & Wildes, J. E. (in press). Workforce diversity in the field of eating disorders: A mixed method study. Western Journal of Nursing Research.
Forney, K. J., Crosby, R., Brown, T. A., Klein, K. M., & Keel, P. K. (in press). A naturalistic, long-term follow-up of purging disorder. Psychological Medicine.
Brown, T. A., Forney, K. J., Klein, K. M., Grillot, C., & Keel, P. K. (2020). A 30-year longitudinal study of body weight, dieting, and disordered eating symptoms. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 129(4), 376-386. doi: 10.1037/abn0000519
Keel, P.K., Bodell, L. P., Forney, K. J., Appelbaum, J., & Williams, D. L. (2019). Examining weight suppression as a transdiagnostic factor influencing illness trajectory in bulimic eating disorders. Physiology & Behavior, 208, 112565. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.112565
Forney, K. J., Schwendler, T., & Ward, R. M. (2019). Examining similarities in eating pathology, negative affect and perfectionism among peers: A social network analysis. Appetite, 137, 236-243. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2019.03.013
Kennedy, G., Forney, K. J., Pinner, D., Martinez, K., Buchman-Schmitt, J., & Keel, P. K. (2019). Reducing anticipated non-suicidal self-injury by improving body esteem in individuals with weight suppression: A proof of concept study. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 52, 206-210. doi: 10.1002/eat.23011
Forney, K. J., Keel, P. K., O’Connor, S., Sisk, C., Burt, S. A., & Klump, K. L. (2019). Interaction of hormonal and social environments in understanding body image concerns in adolescent girls. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 109, 178-184. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2018.12.008
Bodell, L. P., Forney, K. J., Chavarria, J., Wildes, J. E., & Keel, P. K. (2018). Self-report measures of loss of control over eating: Psychometric properties in clinical and nonclinical samples. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 51, 1252-1260. doi: 10.1002/eat.22957
Keel, P. K., Forney, K. J., Buchman-Schmitt, J. M., Kennedy, G. A., & Joiner, T. E. (2018). Examining the link between weight suppression and non-suicidal self-injurious behaviors. Eating Behaviors, 30, 66-71. doi:10.1016/j.eatbeh.2018.06.001
Jorgensen, T., Forney, K. J., Hall, J. A., & Giles, S. (2018). Using modern methods for missing data analysis with the social relations model: A bridge to social network analysis. Social Networks, 54, 26-40. doi: 10.1016/j.socnet.2017.11.002
Forney, K. J., Brown, T. A., Holland-Carter, L. A., Kennedy, G. A., & Keel, P. K. (2017). Defining “significant weight loss” in atypical anorexia nervosa. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 50, 952-962. doi: 10.1002/eat.22717
Brown, T. A., Forney, K. J., Pinner, D., & Keel, P. K. (2017). A randomized controlled trial of The Body Project: More than Muscles for males with body dissatisfaction. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 50, 873-883. doi: 10.1002/eat.22724
Forney, K. J., Bodell, L. P., Haedt-Matt, A. A., & Keel, P. K. (2016). The incremental validity of the episode size criterion in binge-eating definitions: An examination in women with purging syndromes. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 49, 641-662. doi: 10.1002/eat.22508
Klein, K. M., Forney, K. J., & Keel, P. K. (2016). A preliminary evaluation of the validity of binge eating disorder defining features in a community-based sample. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 49, 524-528. doi: 10.1002/eat.22479
Forney, K. J., Buchman-Schmitt, J. M., Keel, P. K., & Frank, G. K. W. (2016). The medical complications associated with purging. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 49, 249-259. doi: 10.1002/eat.22504
Tzoneva, M.,* Forney, K. J., & Keel, P. K. (2015). The influence of gender and age on the association between “fat-talk” and disordered eating: An examination in men and women from their 20’s to their 50’s. Eating Disorders: Journal of Treatment & Prevention, 23, 439-454. doi: 10.1080/10640266.2015.1013396.
Forney, K. J., Holland, L. A., Joiner, T. E., & Keel, P. K. (2015). Determining empirical thresholds for “definitely large” amounts of food for defining binge-eating episodes. Eating Disorders: Journal of Treatment & Prevention, 23, 15-30. doi: 10.1080/10640266.2014.931763
Bodell, L. P., Forney, K. J., Keel, P. K., Gutierrez, P. M., & Joiner, T. E. (2014). Consequences of making weight: A review of eating pathology in the United States Military. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 21, 398-409. doi: 10.1111/cpsp.12082
Mabe, A. G.,* Forney, K. J., & Keel, P. K. (2014). Do you “like” my photo? Facebook use maintains eating disorder risk. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 47, 516-523. doi: 10.1002/eat.22254
Forney, K. J., Haedt-Matt, A. A., & Keel, P. K. (2014). The role of loss of control eating in purging disorder. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 47, 244-251. doi: 10.1002/eat.22212
Keel, P. K., & Forney, K. J. (2013). Psychosocial risk factors for eating disorders. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 46, 433-439. doi: 10.1002/eat.22094
Keel, P. K., Forney, K. J., Brown, T. A., & Heatherton, T. F. (2013). Influence of college peers on disordered eating in women and men at 10-year follow-up. Journal of Abnormal Psychology,122, 105-110. doi: 10.1037/a0030081
Forney, K. J., & Ward, R. M. (2013). Examining the moderating role of social norms between body dissatisfaction and disordered eating in college students. Eating Behaviors, 14, 73-78. doi: 10.1016/j.eatbeh.2012.10.017
Forney, K. J., Holland, L. A., & Keel, P. K. (2012). Influence of peer context on the relationship between body dissatisfaction and eating pathology in women and men. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 45, 982-989. doi: 10.1002/eat.22039
*Indicates undergraduate mentee
Book Chapters
Bodell, L. P. & Forney, K. J. (2020). The neuroendocrinology of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. In H. Meiselman (Ed.), Handbook of Eating and Drinking: Interdisciplinary Perspectives. (1259-1280) Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing.
Keel, P. K., Forney, K. J., & Kennedy, G. A. (2018). Purging disorder. In L. Anderson, S. Murray, & W. Kaye (Eds.), Handbook of Complex and Atypical Eating Disorders. (189-204) Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
Keel, P. K. & Forney, K. J. (2015). Prevalence and incidence of eating disorders in Western societies. In M. Levine & L. Smolak (Eds.), The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Eating Disorders. (53-63) Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, LTD.
Selected Peer-Reviewed Conference Presentations
*Indicates mentee
Forney, K. J., Rogers, M., Grillot, C., Joiner, T., & Keel, P. K. (2020, November). Weight suppression is negatively associated with bulimic symptoms among individuals with a history of class 3 obesity. Poster to be presented at the Association for Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies Virtual Meeting.
Harris, E.*, Horvath, S.*, Pucci, G.*, & Forney, K. J. (2020, November). Examining the relative roles of weight suppression and lifetime highest weigh tin the maintenance of bulimic disorders. Poster to be presented at the Association for Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies Virtual Meeting.
Horvath, S.*, Harris, E.*, Pucci, G*., & Forney, K. J. (2020, November). Examining negative urgency in women previously diagnosed with bulimia nervosa or purging disorder at 10-year follow-up. Poster to be presented at the Association for Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies Virtual Meeting.
Pucci, G.*, Harris, E.*, Horvath, S.*, & Forney, K.J. (2020, November). The unique contribution of positive affect on body dissatisfaction. Poster to be presented at Obesity and Eating Disorders Special Interest Group Exposition of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies Virtual Meeting.
Forney, K. J., Horvath, S. A.*, Pucci, G.*, & Harris, E. R.* (2020, October). Gastrointestinal symptoms interact with body dissatisfaction to explain purging but not restrictive eating behaviors. Poster to be presented at the Eating Disorders Research Society Virtual Meeting.
Pucci, G.*, Harris, E.*, Horvath, S*., & Forney, K. J. (2020, October). Positive affect and body dissatisfaction in four samples. Poster to be presented at the Eating Disorders Research Society Virtual Meeting.
Horvath, S.*, & Forney, K. J. (2019, November). Relationships between eating pathology, negative urgency, and psychosocial functioning among women previously diagnosed with an eating disorder. Poster at the annual meeting of the Association for Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies in Atlanta, GA.
Forney, K. J., Bodell, L. P., & Keel, P. K. (2019, September). Examining the relationship between weight suppression and naturalistic long-term outcome in women with purging syndromes. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Eating Disorders Research Society, Chicago, IL.
Forney, K. J., Schwendler, T., & Ward, R. M. (2019, June). Negative attitudes towards obesity in nutrition students: Examining associations with eating pathology and the student social network. Poster presented at the 7th Annual Weight Stigma Conference, London, ON, Canada. doi: 10.31076/2019.p5
Forney, K. J., & Keel, P. K. (2019, March). The long-term outcome of purging disorder: An examination of predictors of outcome and comparison to bulimia nervosa. Paper presented at the International Conference on Eating Disorders, New York, NY.
Forney, K. J., Schwendler, T., & Ward, R. M. (2018, November). Using social network analysis to understand peer influence son eating pathology. In S. B. Wang & P. Jones (Chairs), Novel insights on eating disorder treatment and etiology from network and complexity science. Symposium conducted at the 52nd annual meeting for the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies, Washington, D.C.
Forney, K. J., Jorgensen, T. D., Hall, J. A., & Giles, S. (2018, April). Utilizing the social relations model to understand peer perceptions of body-related conversation. Paper presented at the International Conference on Eating Disorders, Chicago, IL.
Forney, K. J., Keel, P. K., O’Connor, S., Sisk, C., Burt, S. A., & Klump, K. (2018, April). The interaction of hormonal and social environments in understanding body image concerns in adolescent girls. Poster presented at the International Conference on Eating Disorders, Chicago, IL.
Forney, K. J., & Keel, P. K. (2017, June). The predictive validity of purging disorder: A comparison to bulimia nervosa at 10-year follow-up. Paper presented at the International Conference on Eating Disorders, Prague, Czech Republic.
Keel, P. K., Forney, K. J., Wick, M., & Heatherton, T. (2018, April). Cohort effects for bulimia nervosa trajectories over 10-year follow-up. Paper presented at the International Conference on Eating Disorders, Chicago, IL.
Kennedy, G.A., Forney, K. J., Pinner, D., Martinez, K., & Keel, P. K. (2018, April). The association between weight suppression and non-suicidal self-injury through body dissatisfaction: A proof of concept study. Paper presented at the International Conference on Eating Disorders, Chicago, IL.
Professional Activities and Associations
Professional Memberships
Academy of Eating Disorders
American Psychological Association
Eating Disorders Research Society (Invited Member)
Society for a Science of Clinical Psychology
Fellowships, Honors, and Awards
18 of the Last 9, Miami University Alumni Association, 2019
Glee Ross Hollander Dissertation Award, 2019
Young Investigator Award, Assessment & Diagnosis Special Interest Group of the Academy for Eating Disorders, 2018
P.E.O. Scholar Award, 2016
American Psychological Association Dissertation Research Award, 2016
Florida State University Dissertation Research Award, 2014
American Psychological Foundation COGDOP Graduate Research Scholarship, 2014
Morcom Career Development Award, 2013
Florida State University Nominee for the Conference of Southern Graduate School Outstanding Master’s Thesis Award in the Social Sciences, Business, and Education; 2013
Ermine B. Owenby Fund for Excellence, 2013 & 2017
Florida State University Clinical Psychology Graduate Research Development Award, 2012-2017
Florida State University Congress of Graduate Students Conference Presentation Grant, 2011-2016
Florida State University Legacy Fellow, 2011-2016
Honors Grant for Scholarly Activities, Miami University; 2010
Miami University Harrison Scholar, 2007-2011