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Measuring Body Image
Attitudes
among Adolescents and Adults
J. KEVIN THOMPSONMeasuring Body Image
Attitudes
among Adolescents and Adults
PATRICIA VAN DEN BERGOver the past 20 years, a wide range of measures has been developed for the assessment of various aspects of body image in adolescents and adults. The breadth of coverage provided by these strategies offers an impressive selection to researchers and practitioners interested in measuring body image disturbances. There is general agreement on the distinctions between the dimensions of the attitudinal component. Attitudinal body image is generally classified into the following four components:
| 1. | Global subjective dissatisfaction or disturbance—refers to overall satisfaction–dissatisfaction with one's appearance. |
| 2. | Affective distress regarding appearance—refers to one's emotions about one's appearance, including anxiety, dysphoria, and discomfort. |
| 3. | Cognitive aspects of body image—refers to investment in one's appearance, erroneous thoughts or beliefs about one's body, and body image schemas. |
| 4. | Behavioral avoidance reflective of dissatisfaction with appearance— refers to avoidance of situations or objects due to their elicitation of body image concerns. |
In contrast to the assessment of the perceptual dimension of body image, which is an area rife with methodological perplexity (see the preceding
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Questia, a part of Gale, Cengage Learning. www.questia.com
Publication information:
Book title: Body Image: A Handbook of Theory, Research, and Clinical Practice.
Contributors: Thomas F. Cash - Editor, Thomas Pruzinsky - Editor.
Publisher: Guilford Press.
Place of publication: New York.
Publication year: 2002.
Page number: 142.
This material is protected by copyright and, with the exception of fair use, may not be further copied, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means.
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