Most research on anorexia nervosa has focused on individuals who are currently seeking treatment and leads to many of the treatment models being based on individuals who are already receiving help. Therefore, this study explored personality differences in 33 females with self-reported anorexia who were not seeking treatment, 32 individuals with self-reported anorexia who were seeking treatment, and 83 females who were in a control group. Personality was assessed using a measure derived from the five factor model and eating behaviors were assessed using the Eating Attitudes Test-26.

Results indicated that individuals with self-reported anorexia who are not seeking treatment are less agreeable and less conscientious than both individuals with anorexia who are seeking treatment and a control group without disordered eating behaviors. Also, individuals with anorexia, whether seeking treatment or not, tended to be less extraverted and more neurotic than individuals from a control group without disordered eating behaviors. Lastly, the results revealed that the 5 factors in the five factor model can be used to predict whether individuals with anorexia are seeking treatment or not better than chance. These results can be used to improve on current therapy models to reduce drop-out rates and to create a program that encourages more individuals to come in for treatment. Future research could focus on the facets of the five domains and this would give more information about the participants' personality.