“eLoriCorps Immersive Body Rating Scale”: Exploring the Assessment of Body Image Disturbances from Allocentric and Egocentric Perspectives

Abstract

The first objective of this study was to test the convergent and discriminant validity between the “eLoriCorps Immersive Body Rating Scale” and the traditional paper-based figure rating scale (FRS). The second objective was to explore the contribution of the egocentric virtual reality (VR) perspective of eLoriCorps to understanding body image disturbances (BIDs). The sample consisted of 53 female and 13 male adults. Body size dissatisfaction, body size distortion, perceived body size, and ideal body size were assessed. Overall, outcomes showed good agreement between allocentric perspectives as measured via VR and the FRS. The egocentric VR perspective produced different results compared to both the allocentric VR perspective and the FRS. This difference revealed discriminant validity and suggested that eLoricorps’ egocentric VR perspective might assess something different from the traditional conception of body dissatisfaction, which an allocentric VR perspective generally assesses. Finally, the egocentric VR perspective in assessing BIDs deserves to be studied more extensively to explore the possibility of finding two types of body image distortion: (a) an egocentric perceptual body distortion, referring to internal body sensation affected by intra-individual changes, and (b) an allocentric perceptual body distortion, referring to external body benchmarks constructed by inter-individual comparison occurring in a given cultural context.

eLoriCorps Immersive Body Rating Scale and eLoriCorps Mobile Versions: Validation to Assess Body Image Disturbances from Allocentric and Egocentric Perspectives in a Nonclinical Sample of Adolescents

“…The second objective (O.2) is to test the discriminant validity between the egocentric perspective of BIDs measured with the VR-based e LoriCorps-IBRS 1.1 and the allocentric perspective measured with paper-based FRS and e LoriCorps (-IBRS 1.1 and -IBRS 1.1-Mobile) in an adolescent sample. Consistently, with the adult validation study, it was expected that the egocentric VR perspective would yield results that were not strongly correlated with the allocentric (paper, VR, mobile application) measures of body dissatisfaction and perceptual body distortion [ 47 ]. Moreover, we explored the relationships between dimensions of BIDs in egocentric and allocentric perspectives and other constructs associated with BIDs, such as eating disorder symptoms (EDI-A), body image avoidance (BIAQ-A), and social physique anxiety (SPAS-12).…”

“…Thus, by depictive methods participants are asked to express their judgement on a global body appearance, whereas by metric methods participants are asked to focus on single and specific body parts [ 21 ]. Self-report questionnaires have been criticized as they often yield inconsistent and inconclusive results [ 23 , 46 , 47 ]. The alternative paper-based FRS has received criticism for employing figures that display unrealistic representations of a person’s body, the lack of ecological validity due to the exclusive use of frontal displays (i.e., allocentric perspective), and the absence of figures that represent obesity [ 48 ].…”

“…The alternative paper-based FRS has received criticism for employing figures that display unrealistic representations of a person’s body, the lack of ecological validity due to the exclusive use of frontal displays (i.e., allocentric perspective), and the absence of figures that represent obesity [ 48 ]. To counter these limitations, a growing number of studies have recently explored the potential of virtual reality (VR) technologies by presenting scenarios through allocentric and egocentric (i.e., first person) perspectives [ 47 , 49 , 50 ]. The real-time rendering and exploration of the 3D images led to referring to virtual bodies, as opposed to only body figures, when describing the stimuli.…”

“…Traditionally, participants are asked to observe a line-up of 3D virtual bodies presented in an allocentric perspective and to select the body that corresponds to their perceived body size and their ideal body size. Recently, Monthuy-Blanc et al [ 47 ] developed and documented the validity of the e LoriCorps Immersive Body Rating Scale version 1.0 ( e LoriCorps-IBRS 1.0). In this first version, users could observe seven virtual bodies matching their self-reported sex, ranging from underweight to overweight (i.e., BMI from 15.00 to 33.00 kg/m 2 ), presented both in an allocentric and egocentric perspective.…”

Virtual reality in the treatment of eating disorders

“…First, now it is possible to develop more realistic avatars presented both in first‐ and in third‐ person perspective, as suggested by the ALT theory (Riva & Gaudio, 2012 ). An example is offered by Monthuy‐Blanc et al ( 2020 ), who developed the virtual immersive version of the Body Rating Scale (Stunkard et al, 1983 ). Participants were exposed to seven virtual bodies of increasing BMIs, from 15 to 33 kg/m 2 , created to match the number and the features of the original scale.…”