Translation and psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-4 (SATAQ-4) in college students.

The current study aimed to translate the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-4 (SATAQ-4) into Mandarin Chinese and to examine its psychometric properties. In Study 1 (N = 842, 427 women, 415 men), exploratory factor analysis supported a 4-factor solution for the Mandarin Chinese SATAQ-4, namely Internalization: Thin/Low body fat, Internalization: Muscular/Athletic, Pressures: Family/Peers, and Pressures: Media. Evidence also supported the high internal consistency and convergent validity of the male-subject and female-subject versions of Mandarin Chinese SATAQ-4. In Study 2 (N = 497, 290 women), confirmatory factor analyses supported the previously found 4-factor model, after allowing correlation between residuals of three pairs of items. In Study 3 (N = 294, 129 women), we examined the 3-month test-retest reliability across gender, and the results showed satisfactory ICC for both women (ICC =0.53-0.79) and men (ICC =0.56-0.66). Taken together, the male-subject and female-subject versions of the Mandarin Chinese SATAQ-4 are reliable and valid in evaluating sociocultural attitudes towards appearance.

TikTok, TikTok, the time is now: Future directions in social media and body image.

This article synthesizes practical strategies and future directions proposed by contributors to the special issue in Body Image on social media and body image. It also moves beyond the contributions of the special issue in an effort to provide additional guidance to researchers, clinicians, educators, and policymakers. First, we recommend that research on social media and body image extend beyond convenience sampling of young, White women and include children and older adults, boys and men, and underrepresented groups. Second, we urge researchers to move away from simplistic measures of social media and to utilize mixed-methods approaches. Third, we advocate for the development of new theories that can be tested longitudinally and that capture the unique influences of social media, rather than relying solely on existing models that were developed for traditional media. Fourth, we provide recommendations regarding practical strategies, such as the inclusion of media literacy campaigns, increased research on the role of reality check disclaimers, and further examination regarding the role of body positivity in prevention and intervention efforts. Finally, we end with recommendations regarding advocacy, such as using social media to harness positive efforts and partnering with social media companies regarding their use of algorithms.

Integrating social media variables as predictors, mediators, and moderators within body image frameworks: Potential mechanisms of action to consider in future research.

In this article, we consider how social media variables may be integrated as predictors, mediators, and moderators within dominant theoretical frameworks of body image in order to identify potential mechanisms of action that can be empirically examined in future research and used to direct prevention and intervention efforts. To achieve this goal, we first articulate social media variables that have been investigated as predictors, mediators, and moderators in body image research. Next, we present the following critical and sociocultural theoretical frameworks: social comparison theory, tripartite influence model, objectification theory, developmental theory of embodiment, acceptance model of intuitive eating, cultivation theory, and uses and gratifications theory. Additionally, we present the theory of development of critical body awareness, a newly developed model that may provide further insight regarding the relationships between social media and body image-related outcomes. For each model, we articulate extant research that has explored social media variables within its context and explicate how social media variables could potentially be studied as predictors, mediators, and moderators within its structure. To conclude, we address pertinent limitations and gaps within this research space that could direct future research across the theoretical frameworks.

Validation of an adapted Italian-language version of the Sociocultural Attitudes Toward Appearance Questionnaire-3 (SATAQ-3), within a female population: the Sociocultural Attitudes Toward Appearance Questionnaire - Social Media (SATAQ-SM).

Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-Social Media (SATAQ-SM) is a self-administered questionnaire for the evaluation of social media pressure and internalization of beauty standards. This study aims to validate the SATAQ-SM an adapted Italian version of the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire third version (SATAQ-3). Confirmatory factor analysis was used to investigate whether the empirical data fitted the four-factor structure of SATAQ-3. Assessment of goodness-of-fit was based on standard model fit criteria: relative χ2 value (χ2/df), Root Mean-Squared Error of Approximation (RMSEA), Comparative Fit Index (CFI) and Tucker-Lewis Index (TLI). Internal consistency was assessed using McDonald's omega. Criterion validity was calculated by correlating the SATAQ-SM factors scores with the total score of the Rosenberg self-esteem scale (RSES) and Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26). Four-hundred and eighty-five females agreed to participate in the study. The four-factor model appears to be confirmed by the fit indices: χ2/df = 3.73, RMSEA = 0.07, CFI = 0.99 and TLI = 0.99. All the items defining the four factors had a factor loading of ≥0.40. McDonald's omega of the entire questionnaire was equal to 0.95 and for the four subscales it did not assume values lower than 0.81. The correlations between the factor score of SATAQ-SM and the RSES were all negative and statistically relevant (p < 0.001); the correlations between the scores of the SATAQ-SM subscales and the total score of the EAT-26 are all positive and statistically significant. SATAQ-SM demonstrated good psychometric properties to assess the influence of social media on body image perception related to social media.

Development and validation of a measure of curvy ideals internalization.

Several sociocultural female body ideals exist - thin, muscular/athletic, and, more recently, curvier ideals, which research specifically suggests are more prevalent among Black women. Two validated measures assess women's desire for curvier bodies, but neither assess certain facets of curvy ideals (e.g., thick vs. slim-thick) separately. We developed and validated the Curvy Ideals Internalization (CII) Scale, to be used alone or alongside existing measures of appearance ideal internalization. Focus groups among racially/ethnically diverse women informed initial items. A sample of 897 White (37.1%), Black (34.2%), and biracial Black and White (28.7%) U.S. women completed the initial 37-item CII to determine factor structure, narrow the item pool, and examine validity and reliability. A separate sample (N = 366) of U.S. Black, White, and biracial women completed the CII to confirm the factor structure. The final CII has eleven items, with factors assessing thick/curvy ideal internalization and facets of slim-thick ideal internalization: thin waist and large breast size. The CII has adequate internal consistency, test-retest reliability, construct validity, and factorial validity. The CII is appropriate for use among Black, White, and biracial women to assess internalization of curvier body ideals and needs to be validated in more diverse samples.

The dangers of the rabbit hole: Reflections on social media as a portal into a distorted world of edited bodies and eating disorder risk and the role of algorithms.

The relationship between social media usage and body image has been well-established in the literature; however, social media companies' use of algorithms may intensify this association, as algorithms provide viewers with personalized content that is often more extreme, less monitored, and designed to keep users engaged for longer periods of time. This article details the recent media coverage of algorithms, revelations by former social media employees regarding the problematic usage of algorithms, and revelations that social media companies are aware of the harm posed by their implementation of algorithms, particularly for young, vulnerable users. We provide recommendations for influencers, educators, researchers, clinicians, parents, and users, and conclude that it is ultimately the responsibility of the social media corporations to protect and enhance the well-being of their users.

Demographic and sociocultural predictors of sexuality-related body image and sexual frequency: The U.S. Body Project I.

Body image is a critical component of an individual's sexual experiences. This makes it critical to identify demographic and sociocultural correlates of sexuality-related body image: the subjective feelings, cognitions, and evaluations related to one's body in the context of sexual experience. We examined how sexuality-related body image differed by gender, sexual orientation, race, age, and BMI. Four items assessing sexuality-related body image were completed by 11,620 U.S. adults: self-perceived sex appeal of their body, nude appearance satisfaction, and the extent to which they believed that body image positively or negatively affected their sexual enjoyment and feelings of sexual acceptability as a partner. Men reported slightly less nude appearance dissatisfaction and fewer negative effects of body image on sexual enjoyment and sexual acceptability than women, but did not differ in reported sex appeal. Poorer sexuality-related body image was reported by people with higher BMIs, not in relationships, who had sex less frequently, among White compared to Black women and men, and among gay compared to heterosexual men. Data also revealed a subgroup of respondents who reported that their body image had a positive impact on their sex lives. The findings highlight a need for interventions addressing sexuality-related body image.

Pathways from sociocultural and objectification constructs to body satisfaction among men: The U.S. Body Project I.

According to the tripartite influence model, body dissatisfaction is shaped by internalizing cultural appearance ideals stemming from appearance-related family, peer, and media pressures. This model was developed for women, but emerging evidence points to its relevance for men's body image. This study advanced this budding research by (a) integrating muscular-ideal internalization alongside lean-ideal internalization and body surveillance into the model, (b) examining two positive dimensions of body image as outcomes (body image quality of life and appearance evaluation), and (c) testing this model in national online sample of 5293 men. Structural equation modeling supported the model. Family, peer, and media pressures related to higher lean-ideal internalization, which related to higher body surveillance and poorer body image outcomes. Peer and media pressures related to higher muscular-ideal internalization, which related to higher body surveillance but more adaptive body image outcomes. We further examined whether model variables and paths differed based on men's body mass index (BMI). Men with higher BMIs evidenced a stronger path between body surveillance and body image outcomes. These findings highlight the usefulness of sociocultural models for understanding men's body image experiences.

Sexual orientation differences in pathways from sociocultural and objectification constructs to body satisfaction: The U.S. Body Project I.

Objectification theory and the tripartite influence model provide useful frameworks for understanding the body image experiences of men and women. However, there is little systematic investigation of how sexual orientation moderates the links between these constructs and body image satisfaction. It has been hypothesized, for example, that the associations of surveillance (i.e., monitoring of one's appearance due to objectification by others) would be strongest for groups targeted by the male gaze (e.g., gay men, lesbian women, and bisexual men and women). Here we proposed an integrated sociocultural model and examined these pathways in multigroup structural equation models in a national sample of heterosexual, bisexual, and lesbian women (ns = 5395; 598; 213, respectively), and heterosexual, bisexual, and gay men (4869; 194; and 194, respectively) aged 18-65 years. Sexual orientation moderated some of these pathways. The most consistent pattern was that appearance pressures were internalized to a greater extent among bisexual participants. The pathways to poorer body image were generally similar among heterosexual and gay/lesbian men and women. These findings highlight the importance of examining sexual orientation-specific influences on body image across diverse groups, as well as the commonalities in the experiences of men and women across sexual orientations.

Pathways from sociocultural and objectification constructs to body satisfaction among women: The U.S. Body Project I.

Objectification theory proposes that widespread sexualization causes women to engage in surveillance of their appearance. We integrated this concept into a model with constructs from the tripartite influence model, which proposes that body dissatisfaction is a result of internalizing cultural notions of thin ideal beauty that stem from family, peer, and media appearance-related pressures. We tested this model with an online sample of 6327 adult women. Specifically, we tested whether these pressures predicted increased thin-ideal and muscular-ideal internalization, leading to greater body surveillance, and in turn lower appearance evaluation and body image quality of life. Structural equation modeling supported many aspects of the model. Family, peer, and media pressures related to higher thin-ideal internalization, which related to higher body surveillance and lower appearance evaluation. Peer and media pressures related to higher muscular-ideal internalization, which related to lower appearance evaluation. However, muscular-ideal internalization was not related to body image quality of life. An indirect relationship emerged between thin-ideal internalization and body image outcomes via body surveillance. Body mass index (BMI) moderated several of these model paths. Findings highlight the value of this integrated sociocultural model, and of BMI as an important moderating factor when examining objectification and tripartite influence models.

Demographic predictors of body image satisfaction: The U.S. Body Project I.

We examined how gender, body mass, race, age, and sexual orientation were linked to appearance evaluation, overweight preoccupation, and body image-related quality of life among 11,620 adults recruited via Mechanical Turk. Men were less likely than women to report low appearance evaluation, high overweight preoccupation, negative effects of body image on their quality of life, being on a weight-loss diet, and trying to lose weight with crash diets/fasting. Racial differences were generally small, but greater appearance evaluation was reported by Black men versus other groups and Black women versus White women. Across all measures, gay and bisexual men reported poorer body image than heterosexual men, with only small effect sizes observed for sexual orientation differences among women. Body mass, but not age, was strongly associated with body image. The prevalence of poor body image highlights the need for interventions. On the positive side, half of men and women reported high appearance evaluation. Examination of this group could identify factors promoting positive body image.

An abbreviated 10-item, two-factor version of the Body Image Quality of Life Inventory (BIQLI-10): The U.S. Body Project I.

The objective of this study was to re-examine the factor structure of the Body Image Quality of Life Inventory (BIQLI), a measure that quantifies perceived effects of one's body image on various aspects of psychosocial functioning. Data on the 19-item BIQLI from a community sample of 11,620 U.S. men and women were split into cross-validation samples and underwent exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. An abbreviated 10-item, two-factor version of the BIQLI (BIQLI-10) was identified. The BIQLI-10 measures Social Relations & Psychological Well-Being with one subscale and Appearance & Body Management Activities with the other. Internal consistency was high for each subscale. The BIQLI-10 largely retained the convergent validity of the original 19-item BIQLI, as evidenced by nearly identical correlations with appearance evaluation, overweight preoccupation, body surveillance, appearance pressures, and appearance ideal internalization. Results also supported strong measurement invariance for the BIQLI-10 by age group, gender, sexual orientation, racial group, and weight status. Findings from this study suggest researchers may use this abbreviated version to increase nuance in the measurement of body image quality of life and reduce participant burden without compromising the psychometric integrity of the BIQLI. Further, results support the comparison of BIQLI-10 subscale scores across diverse groups.

Demographic predictors of objectification theory and tripartite influence model constructs: The U.S. Body Project I.

We examined how demographic factors (gender, sexual orientation, racial group, age, body mass) were linked to measures of sociocultural appearance concerns derived from objectification theory and the tripartite influence model (McKinley & Hyde, 1996; Schaefer et al., 2015) among 11,620 adults. Men were less likely than women to report high body surveillance, thin-ideal internalization, appearance-related media pressures, and family pressures; did not differ in peer pressures; and reported greater muscle/athletic internalization. Both men and women expressed greater desire for their bodies to look "very lean" than to look "very thin". Compared to gay men, heterosexual men reported lower body surveillance, thin-ideal internalization, peer pressures, and media pressures. Black women reported lower thin-ideal internalization than White, Hispanic, and Asian women, whereas Asian women reported greater family pressures. Being younger and having higher BMIs were associated with greater sociocultural appearance concerns across most measures. The variation in prevalence of sociocultural appearance concerns across these demographic groups highlights the need for interventions.

Does the tripartite influence model of body image and eating pathology function similarly across racial/ethnic groups of White, Black, Latina, and Asian women?

The tripartite influence model suggests that appearance pressures from family, peers, and the media contribute to thin-ideal internalization, which leads to increased body dissatisfaction and subsequent eating disorder pathology. The tripartite influence model was initially developed and tested among primarily White samples, and emerging research suggests racial/ethnic differences in mean levels of particular model constructs. Consequently, the model's appropriateness for understanding eating disorder risk in racial/ethnic minorities warrants investigation to determine its usefulness in explicating eating disorder risk in diverse populations. Participants in the current study were White (n = 1167), Black (n = 212), Latina (n = 203), and Asian (n = 176) women from five geographically disparate college campuses in the United States. Participants completed the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-4, the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire - Appearance Evaluation Subscale, and the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire. Analysis of variance was used to compare mean levels of each construct across racial/ethnic groups. Multigroup structural equation modeling was used to assess the appropriateness of the tripartite influence model for each racial/ethnic group, and to examine differences in the strength of the model pathways across groups. There were significant mean level differences across groups for most model constructs. However, results indicated similar model fit across racial/ethnic groups, with few differences in the strength of model pathways. Findings suggest that although some groups report lower levels of proposed risk factors, the sociocultural risk processes for eating pathology identified through the tripartite influence model are similar across racial/ethnic groups of young adult women. Such information can be used to inform culturally-sensitive interventions.

Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-4: Psychometric properties among a French clinical eating disorder sample and normative comparisons.

Although the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire-4 (SATAQ-4) has been shown to be a reliable and valid tool for assessing appearance pressures and appearance ideal internalization among French college students, to date its psychometric properties among French clinical populations have not been examined. The aim of this study was to evaluate the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the SATAQ-4 among a French female clinical eating disorder sample, and to compare the mean SATAQ-4 scores from this clinical sample to previously published means observed among French female college women. The current sample included 192 French women consecutively recruited from an outpatient eating disorders unit in France. Participants completed the SATAQ-4, as well as validated measures of body image and eating pathology. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that the original 22-item five-factor solution provided less than adequate fit to the data. In contrast, the reduced 20-item five-factor solution identified among French college students provided a good fit to the data. The SATAQ-4 subscales generally exhibited moderate positive associations with convergent measures of body image and eating disturbance, consistent with expectations. Differences in SATAQ-4 subscale means across diagnostic groups were observed. In addition, the clinical group reported higher scores on the Internalization: Thin/Low Body Fat and Internalization: Muscular/Athletic subscales compared to a non-clinical French sample. Findings support the SATAQ-4 as a valuable tool for assessing sociocultural influences on body image and eating concerns among French women with eating disorders.

A test of the tripartite influence model of disordered eating among men.

Studies of the Tripartite Influence Model conducted with female samples suggest that thinness-oriented pressures, internalization, and appearance comparisons may be risk factors for disordered eating. However, limited work has investigated this model among men utilizing measures specifically designed to assess both muscularity- and thinness-oriented processes, which characterize male body image concerns. To address this gap, the current study examined the Tripartite Influence Model of disordered eating among men using a battery of such measures. A convenience sample of 265 male undergraduates completed validated, self-report measures of disordered eating, muscularity- and thinness-oriented appearance pressures, internalization, and appearance comparisons. Path analyses supported a slightly modified version of the Tripartite Influence Model, indicating direct and indirect paths from sociocultural pressures to disordered eating via internalization and appearance comparisons. These results provide support for a version of the Tripartite Influence Model among men. Specifically, muscularity- and thinness-oriented pressures appear to be related to disordered eating among college men via indirect pathways involving thin internalization, muscular internalization, and appearance comparisons. Future work is needed, however, to examine whether the model would generalize to muscularity-oriented disordered eating.

Reexamination of the psychometric properties of the Compensatory Eating and Behaviors in Response to Alcohol Consumption Scale (CEBRACS) and exploration of alternative scoring.

OBJECTIVE: The primary aims of this paper were to reexamine the factor structure of the 21-item Compensatory Eating and Behaviors in Response to Alcohol Consumption Scale (CEBRACS), a measure of Food and Alcohol Disturbance (FAD), and investigate an alternative scoring structure. FAD is the use of disordered eating behaviors within an alcohol use episode to compensate for alcohol-related calories and/or increase effects of alcohol. The new scoring approach captures FAD behaviors based on whether they occurred before, during, or after alcohol use. METHOD: Participants were 586 young adults (18-30 years; 77.6% female; 55.8% non-Hispanic White) who completed online questionnaires on alcohol use, disordered eating behaviors, and FAD. RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analyses did not provide unequivocal evidence for any previously proposed factor structures of the CEBRACS. Exploratory factor analysis suggested items capturing FAD "Before" drinking had a two-factor structure (i.e., Alcohol Effects and Compensatory Behaviors), items capturing FAD "During" drinking had a three-factor structure (i.e., Alcohol Effects, Diet & Exercise, and Extreme Weight Control Behaviors [EWCB]), and items capturing FAD "After" drinking had a two-factor structure (i.e., Diet & Exercise & EWCB). DISCUSSION: The CEBRACS factor structure is not consistent across samples; however, despite suboptimal fit, the original structure remains the best approach to capture FAD behaviors. The alternative scoring reflects FAD behaviors based on when they occur relative to alcohol use. The two scoring approaches provide researchers and clinicians flexibility to describe FAD behaviors in multiple ways using the CEBRACS.

Thomas F. Cash: A multidimensional innovator in the measurement of body image; Some lessons learned and some lessons for the future of the field.

Accurate measurement of constructs under investigation is an often-overlooked ingredient of research. However, sound use of strategies to ensure valid and reliable assessment is the building block for any research design, data analysis, and outcome interpretation. In this paper, we note how Thomas F. Cash has pioneered and steered this process in the field of body image for over 30 years-in fact, in the inaugural issue of Body Image, the first article after the editorial introduction focused on measurement (see Thompson, 2004). In the current paper, we detail some of the seminal measures developed by Thomas Cash as well as update the common errors in the (mis)measurement of body image noted in Thompson (2004). The future of body image assessment is bright if we focus on the illumination of past work by Thomas Cash.