Elsevier

Body Image

Volume 3, Issue 4, December 2006, Pages 335-344
Body Image

Development and validation of the verbal commentary on physical appearance scale: Considering both positive and negative commentary

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2006.10.001Get rights and content

Abstract

Two studies describe the development and validation of the Verbal Commentary on Physical Appearance Scale (VCOPAS). In Study 1, 320 undergraduate female students completed the scale and factor analyses were conducted. Study 2 included 246 undergraduate female students and a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) replicated the initial factor structure. The final VCOPAS consists of 21 items and contains three subscales (Negative Weight and Shape, Positive Weight and Shape, and Positive General Appearance). The total scale and subscales demonstrated good internal consistency and test–retest reliability (all >.70). Significant correlations were found between VCOPAS subscales and measures of physical appearance-related feedback, body image disturbance, and self-esteem. Regression analyses indicated the utility of the Negative Weight and Shape, Positive Weight and Shape, and Positive General Appearance subscales in explaining significant variance associated with body image disturbance and self-esteem. The VCOPAS is likely to be useful in future research examining the role of appearance-related commentary in the development and maintenance of body image dissatisfaction and eating disturbance.

Introduction

A great deal of research has focused on the role of sociocultural and interpersonal influences in the development and maintenance of body image and eating disturbance (Thompson & Smolak, 2001; Thompson, Heinberg, Altabe, & Tantleff-Dunn, 1999). Previous research has indicated that societal messages regarding thinness and attractiveness are often promoted by parents, peers, partners, and strangers through appearance-related feedback (Levine & Smolak, 2001; Ricciardelli & McCabe, 2001; Thompson, Herbozo, Himes, & Yamamiya, 2005). The detrimental effects of negative appearance-related feedback on body dissatisfaction, especially in the form of teasing, have been demonstrated in correlational, covariance structure modeling, and longitudinal studies (Wertheim, Paxton, & Blaney, 2004). There is strong evidence suggesting a link between history of negative appearance-based commentary and current body dissatisfaction, eating dysfunction, and poor psychological functioning among adolescent and adult females (e.g., Annis, Cash, & Hrabosky, 2004; Fabian & Thompson, 1989; Gleason, Alexander, & Somers, 2000; Kvalem, von Soest, Roald, & Skolleborg, 2006; Thompson, Cattarin, Fowler, & Fisher, 1995; van den Berg, Wertheim, Thompson, & Paxton, 2002).

Given the importance of appearance-related feedback in the context of body image and eating disturbance, several measures have been developed to assess various aspects of teasing and negative feedback regarding one's physical appearance. The most commonly used scales include the Perception of Teasing Scale (POTS; Thompson, Cattarin, et al., 1995; Thompson, Coovert, Richards, Johnson, & Cattarin, 1995), Appearance Teasing Inventory (ATI; Cash, 1995; Rieves & Cash, 1996), and the Feedback on Physical Appearance Scale (FOPAS; Tantleff-Dunn, Thompson, & Dunn, 1995). Although these measures have facilitated research in the area of body image and eating disturbance, they have failed to assess one specific aspect of appearance-related feedback: positive information from others regarding one's appearance. Very little is known about how individuals are affected by this particular type of appearance-related feedback.

In one of the few studies in this area, Ricciardelli, McCabe, and Banfield (2000) examined the influence of parents, siblings, friends, and the media on adolescent's boys’ body image and body change methods using structured interviews. Praise and compliments (e.g., “You’ve got a good body”) were identified as the most common types of messages given to boys. Satisfaction with body shape and muscle tone was strongly related to positive messages from mothers and female friends. In contrast, feedback from fathers and male friends was more influential in affecting boys’ body change strategies.

The limited research in the area of positive appearance-related feedback is likely due to the lack of a psychometrically sound questionnaire for assessing such feedback. More work in this regard is indicated. Currently, it is unknown if positive feedback may lead to enhanced feelings of body acceptance and self-esteem or, as with teasing and negative appearance-related feedback, positive appearance-related feedback may reinforce society's emphasis on physical appearance, and perhaps be associated with a poorer body image. Given the lack of an empirically validated scale of positive appearance-related commentary, the current study was designed to produce a measure that could allow for the evaluation of both positive and negative appearance-related comments and their association with a variety of indices of body image disturbance. We expected that negative feedback would be associated with a poorer body image and lower self-esteem, but did not specifically hypothesize a directional effect for the relation between positive feedback and these constructs.

Section snippets

Participants

Participants were 50 undergraduate female students drawn from the subject pool at the University of South Florida. This sample was chosen because much of the prior work in this area has been conducted on females and these individuals typically receive more appearance comments than males (Thompson et al., 1999, Thompson et al., 2005).

From this sample, 41 participants completed the questionnaires in a group setting. The remaining nine participants attended a focus group session. The sample for

Participants

Participants were 320 undergraduate female students drawn from the subject pool at the University of South Florida. This sample consisted of ages 18–25 (M = 20.5, SD = 1.8). Of the 320 participants, 174 (54.7%) were Caucasian, 50 (15.7%) were African American, 48 (15.1%) were Hispanic, and 22 (6.9%) were Asian American. Twenty-four participants (7.5%) reported “other” for their ethnicity and two participants did not report their ethnicity. All participants received extra credit for a psychology

Method

Study 2 was conducted in order to: (1) cross-validate the VCOPAS using a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) in SAS with a new sample; (2) establish the test–retest reliability of the scale and reevaluate the internal consistency; and (3) examine the convergent, discriminant, and incremental validity of the scale.1

Discussion

Pilot research and two studies were designed to develop a reliable and valid measure of physical appearance commentary, with a special focus on the relatively unexamined dimension of positive appearance feedback. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses on the VCOPAS revealed three clear factors: Negative Weight and Shape, Positive Weight and Shape, and Positive General Appearance. Internal consistencies and test–retest analyses indicated that the VCOPAS subscales were reliable.

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