Variation and Validity of Body Dissatisfaction Visual Analogue Scales

When measuring state body dissatisfaction, it is common for researchers to use idiosyncratic versions of the Body Dissatisfaction – Visual Analogue Scales (BD-VASs). However, the BDVAS variants vary in their scale and psychometric properties and impede comparability of results across studies. This thesis aims to review all available BD-VAS variants and their psychometric properties (Study 1), and empirically study the effects of scale modifications on BD-VASs’ validity and reliability (Study 2). Study 1 revealed a total of 61 BD-VAS variants. Many of these variants were modified for a single study (77%) and had no supporting reliability and validity evidence (39%). In Study 2, 413 female undergraduate students completed one of six BD-VAS versions varying in extremity and scale polarity. Contrary to predictions, the BDVAS variants had comparable score distributions, reliability, and validity evidence. While there is unnecessary variability across BD-VASs, such modifications may not greatly impact responses or study results.