Initial examination of the validity and reliability of the female photographic figure rating scale for body image assessment

Viren Swami*, Natalie Salem, Adrian Furnham, Martin J. Tovée

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

141 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The present study reports on the reliability and validity of an improved body image assessment scale, namely the female Photographic Figure Rating Scale (PFRS). This scale consists of ten photographic images of real women varying in body mass index (BMI) from emaciated to obese. The PFRS was designed to overcome many of the limitations associated with line-drawn figures that are currently in use, including a lack of realism and poor ecological validity. Based on a sample of 208 adult women, the results of the present study showed that the PFRS had good validity in that all images were correctly rank-ordered by BMI. In addition, construct validity was supported by the finding that current self-ratings of body size based on the PFRS were significantly correlated with participants' BMI and that body dissatisfaction was negatively correlated with positive body image. Finally, test-retest reliabilities showed that the PFRS remained stable after a three-week interval. The discussion focuses on the strengths and limitations of the PFRS in relation to existing scales used in body image assessment.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1752-1761
Number of pages10
JournalPersonality and Individual Differences
Volume44
Issue number8
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jun 2008
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Body image
  • Body size
  • Photographic Figure Rating Scale
  • Scale assessment

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