Beyond Body Image as a Trait: The Development and Validation of the Body Image States Scale
Abstract
The need exists for a psychometrically sound measure of individuals' evaluative/affective body image states. In the present investigation with 174 college students, the six-item Body Image States Scale (BISS) was developed and found to be acceptably internally consistent and moderately stable. Evincing its convergent validity, the BISS was appropriately correlated with various trait measures of body image. It was sensitive to reactions in positive versus negative situational contexts. Sex differences reflected those expected from the literature. Construct validity was confirmed by an experiment on persons' differential reactivity to appearance-related information as a function of level of dysfunctional body-image investment. The BISS is a unique and much-needed measure with potential utility in both research and clinical work.
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Body image was measured using the Body Image State Scale (Cash et al., 2002).
“The Body Image State Scale (Cash, Fleming, Alindogan, Steadman, & Whitehead, 2002) was used to measure girls ' evaluation and affect about their physical appearance at this moment.”
From Picture Perfect: The Direct Effect of Manipulated Instagram Photos on Body Image in Adolescent Girls (2018) · cites this paper as Cash, Fleming, Alindogan, Steadman, & Whitehead, 2002
Cites
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Thompson, J. K., Heinberg, L. J., Altabe, M., & Tantleff-Dunn, S. (1999) · doi:10.1037/10312-000 · Cited by 3,100 · see citing works
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Grabe, S., Ward, L. M., & Hyde, J. S. (2008) · Psychological Bulletin · doi:10.1037/0033-2909.134.3.460 · Cited by 2,053 · see citing works
Picture Perfect: The Direct Effect of Manipulated Instagram Photos on Body Image in Adolescent Girls
Kleemans, M., Daalmans, S., Carbaat, I., & Anschütz, D. (2018) · Media Psychology · doi:10.1080/15213269.2016.1257392 · Cited by 421 · see citing works
“Following Cash et al. (2002), a 9-point, bipolar, Likert-type scale was used with a higher score indicating a more positive body image.”
MethodSystematic Review of Body Image Measures
Kling, J., Kwakkenbos, L., Diedrichs, P. C., Rumsey, N., Frisén, A., Brandão, M. P., Silva, A. G., Dooley, B., Rodgers, R. F., & Fitzgerald, A. (2019) · Body Image · doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2019.06.006 · Cited by 209 · see citing works
Fioravanti, G., Bocci Benucci, S., Ceragioli, G., & Casale, S. (2022) · Adolescent Research Review · doi:10.1007/s40894-022-00179-4 · Cited by 200 · see citing works
Instagram: Friend or foe? The application’s association with psychological well-being
Mackson, S. B., Brochu, P. M., & Schneider, B. A. (2019) · New Media & Society · doi:10.1177/1461444819840021 · Cited by 125 · see citing works
Swami, V., Barron, D., & Furnham, A. (2018) · Body Image · doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2017.12.006 · Cited by 94 · see citing works
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Snapchat Lenses and Body Image Concerns
Burnell, K., Kurup, A. R., & Underwood, M. K. (2022) · New Media & Society · doi:10.1177/1461444821993038 · Cited by 43 · see citing works
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Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMS) for Body Image in Dermatology: A Systematic Review
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“The BISS, developed by Cash et al. and revised by Yang Xiaoying et al. [18, 19], was used to assess body satisfaction.”
- Authors
- Cash, T. F., Fleming, E. C., Alindogan, J., Steadman, L., & Whitehead, A.
- Affiliations
- Old Dominion University (US)
- ORCID
- Cash, Thomas F.
- Venue
- Eating Disorders
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2002-06
- Volume
- 10
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 103-113
- ISSN
- 1064-0266 (ISSN-L)
- 1532-530X
- OpenAlex
- W2043592663
- Cited by
- 684
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 63 · 2025: 84 · 2024: 61 · 2023: 59 · 2022: 44 · 2021: 53 · 2020: 36 · 2019: 34 · 2018: 32 · 2017: 25 · 2016: 31 · 2015: 25 · 2014: 19 · 2013: 17 · 2012: 22
- FWCI
- 3.80
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Eating Disorders (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Eating Disorders and Behaviors
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Body Image and Dysmorphia Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Keywords
- body image, scale development, psychometric validation, convergent validity, construct validity, sex differences, university students
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