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Male Figural Rating Scales: A Critical Review of the Literature

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 April 2020

Daniel Talbot ,
John Cass  and
Evelyn Smith
Daniel Talbot*
Affiliation:
School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Notre Dame, New South Wales, Australia School of Psychology, Western Sydney University, New South Wales, Australia
John Cass
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, Western Sydney University, New South Wales, Australia
Evelyn Smith
Affiliation:
School of Psychology, Western Sydney University, New South Wales, Australia
*
*Corresponding author: Daniel Talbot, School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Notre Dame, NSW, Australia. Email: danieltalbot89@gmail.com
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Abstract

Figural rating scales are tools used to measure male body dissatisfaction. The present review aimed to examine the design and psychometric properties of male figural rating scales and make recommendations based on findings. Relevant databases were systematically searched for studies that had developed and validated male figural rating scales. Twenty studies were included in this review. Figural rating scales differed in terms of the number of images represented and type of stimuli used (hand-drawn silhouettes, hand-drawn figures, computer-rendered figures, and photograph figures). Reliability and validity evidence varied greatly in strength across all scales. Four of the 20 scales included a correlational analysis between figural rating scale scores and eating disorder symptoms. Results showed the moderate to high positive correlations between eating disorder symptoms and figural rating scale perceived and index scores, suggesting that figural rating scales are sensitive to detecting eating disorder symptoms. Ideally, male figural rating scales should show strong validity and reliability, include variations in both body fat and muscularity, utilise realistic body stimuli, and be interval scales. No existing male figural rating scale meets these criteria. However, this review identifies five figural rating scales that meet the majority of the recommended criteria.

Keywords

figural rating scalemalebody imagebody dissatisfactionmen
Type
Review Article
Information
Behaviour Change , Volume 37 , Issue 2 , June 2020 , pp. 59 - 73
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2020. Published by Cambridge University Press

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