Abstract
AIMS: Various questionnaire measures have been developed to study body attitude and affect. The Body Cathexis Scale (BCS) was the first psychometric instrument devised to measure body dissatisfaction. In this study we report the validation of the Italian version of the BCS. Reliability and validity studies were conducted on 86 female subjects with eating disorders and 404 general population subjects. RESULTS: Factor analysis yielded three factors called “Bust”, “Weight-related Body Shape and Functions” and “Physical Functionality”. Internal consistency was 0.90 (Cronbach’s alpha). Test-retest reliability was 0.81. Criterion and concurrent validity are considered and norms as percentiles are reported for age classes.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Thompson J.K.: Body image disturbance. Assessment and treatment. New York, Pergamon Press, 1990.
Pruzinsky T., Cash T.F.: Understanding body images: Historical and contemporary perspectives. In: Cash T.F., Pruzinsky T. (Eds.), Body image: A handbook of theory, research, and clinical practice. New York, Guilford Press, 2002, pp. 3–12.
Keeton W.P., Cash T.F., Brown TA.: Body image or body images? Comparative, multidimensional assessment among college students. J. Person. Assess., 54, 213–230, 1990.
Dorian L., Garfinkel P.E.: Culture and body image in Western society. Eat. Weight Disord., 7, 1–19, 2002.
Thompson J.K., Heinberg L.J., Altabe M., Tanteff-Dunn S.: Exacting beauty: theory, assessment and treatment of body image disturbance. Washington (DC), American Psychological Association, 1998.
Secord P., Jourard S.: The appraisal of body-cathexis: body cathexis and the self. J. Consult. Psychol., 17, 343–347, 1953.
Jourard S.M., Secord P.F.: Body-cathexis and personality. Br. J. Psychol., 46, 130–138, 1955.
Berscheid E., Walster E., Bohrnstedt G.: The happy American body: A survey report. Psychol. Today, 11, 119–131, 1973.
Brown TA., Cash T.F., Mikulka P.J.: Attitudinal body image assessment: factor analysis of the body self relation questionnaire. J. Person. Assess., 555, 135–144, 1990.
Slade P.D., Dewey M.E., Newton T., Brodie D.A., Kiemle G.: Development and preliminary validation of the Body satisfaction scale (BSS). Psychol. Health, 4, 213–220, 1990.
Mable H.M., Balance W.D.G., Galgan R.J.: Body-image distortion and dissatisfaction in university students. Percept. Mot. Skills, 63, 907–911, 1986.
Wendel G., Lester D.: Body-cathexis and self-esteem. Percept. Mot. Skills, 67, 538, 1988.
Schreiber C, Florin I., Rost W.: Psychological correlates of functional secondary amenorrhea. Psychother. Psychosom., 39, 106–111, 1983.
Orlandi E., Guaraldi G.P., Facchinetti F.: Body image in secondary amenorrhea. J. Psychosom. Obstet. Gynaecol., 18, 45–52, 1997.
Guaraldi G.P., Orlandi E., Boselli P., Tartoni P.L.: Body size perception and dissatisfaction in female subjects of different ages. Psychother. Psychosom., 64, 149–155, 1995.
Limbos M.M., Joyce D.P., Chan C.K., Kesten S.: Psychological functioning and quality of life in lung transplant candidates and recipients. Chest, 118, 408–416, 2000.
Onen Sertoz O., Elbi Mete H., Noyan A., Alper M., Kapkac M.: Meme Kanserinde Ameliyat Tipinin Beden Algisi, Cinsel Işlevler, Benlik Saygisi ve Eş Uyumuna Etkileri: Kontrollü Bir CCalişma [Effects of surgery type on body image, sexuality, self-esteem, and marital adjustment in breast cancer: a controlled stud ] Turk Psikiyatri Derg., 15, 264–275, 2004.
Shim S., Kotsiopulos A., Knoll D.S.: Short, average-height, tall and big men: body-cathexis, clothing and retail satisfactions, and clothing behaviour. Percept. Mot. Skills, 70, 83–96, 1990.
Tiggeman M., Williamson S.: The effect of exercise on body satisfaction and self-esteem as a function of gender and age. Sex Roles, 43, 119–127, 2000.
Goodwin A., Astbury J., McMeeken J.: Body image and psychological well-being in pregnancy. A comparison of exercisers and non-exercisers. Aust. N. Z. J. Obstet. Gynaecol., 40, 442–447, 2000.
Boscaglia N., Skouteris H., Wertheim E.H.: Changes in body image satisfaction during pregnancy: a comparison of high exercising and low exercising women. Aust. N. Z. J. Obstet. Gynaecol., 43, 41–45, 2003.
Furnham A., Greaves N: Gender and locus of control correlates of body image dissatisfaction. Eur. J. Person., 8, 183–200, 1994.
Santonastaso P., Ferrara S., Sala A., Vidotti G., Dalle Grave R., Probst M., Favaro A.: Confronto degli atteggiamenti corporei di un gruppo di pazienti con disturbi dell’alimentazione con un campione di studentesse: validazione italiana del Body Attitudes Test (BAT). Riv. Sper. Freniatr. CXIX, 423–436, 1995.
Garner D.M., Garfinkel P.E.: The Eating Attitudes Test: An index of symptoms of anorexia nervosa. Psychol. Med., 9, 273–279, 1979.
Garner D.M., Olmsted M.P., Polivy J.: Development and validation of a multidimensional eating disorder inventory for anorexia nervosa and bulimia. Int. J. Eat. Disord., 2, 15–23, 1983.
Henderson M., Freeman C.P.L.: A self-rating scale for bulimia: The “BITE”. Br. J. Psychiatry, 150, 18–24, 1987.
Tucker L.A.: Internal structure, factor satisfaction, and reliability of the body cathexis scale. Percept. Mot. Skills, 53, 891–896, 1981.
Theodorakis Y., Doganis G., Bagiati K.: Age differences and structural validity for Greek version of Body Cathexis Scale. Psychol. Rep., 68, 43–49, 1991.
Riordan J., Koff E., Stubbs M.L.: Depressive symptomatology and body image in adolescent girls. J. Early Adolesc, 7, 205–216, 1987.
Dorian B.J., Garfinkel P.E.: The contributions of epidemiologic studies to the etiology and treatment of the eating disorders. Psychiatr. Ann., 29, 187–192, 1999.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Orlandi, E., Covezzi, R., Galeazzi, G.M. et al. The Italian version of the Body Cathexis Scale. Eat Weight Disord 11, e79–e84 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03327562
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03327562