The Breast Size Rating Scale: Development and psychometric evaluation

Swami, Viren; Cavelti, Silvia; Taylor, Donna; Tovée, Martin J.

doi:10.1016/j.bodyim.2015.02.004

Cited by 18 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 47 publications

(74 reference statements)

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“…More recently, some studies employed more realistic avatars, digitally manipulated in five (Swami &Tovée, 2013a, 2013b or even 14 (Swami et al, 2015) breast size steps.…”

Section: Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Men's preferences for women's breast size and shape in four cultures

Havlı́ček

Třebický

Valentová

et al. 2017

Evolution and Human Behavior

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The morphology of human female breasts typical for their permanent fat deposits appears to be unique among primates. It has been previously suggested that female breast morphology arose as a result of sexual selection. This is supported by evidence showing that women with larger breasts tend to have higher estrogen levels; breast size may therefore serve as an indicator of potential fertility. However, breasts become less firm with age and parity, and breast shape could thus also serve as a marker of residual fertility. Therefore, crossculturally, males are hypothesized to prefer breast morphology that indicates both high potential and residual fertility. To test this, we performed a survey on men´s preferences for breast morphology in four different cultures (Brazil, Cameroon, the Czech Republic, Namibia). As stimuli, we used two sets of images varying in breast size (marker of potential fertility) and level of breast firmness (marker of residual fertility). Individual preferences for breast size were variable, but the majority of raters preferred medium sized, followed by large sized breasts. In contrast, we found systematic directional preferences for firm breasts across all four samples. This pattern supports the idea that breast morphology may serve as a residual fertility indicator, but offers more limited support for the potential fertility indicator hypothesis. Future studies should focus on a potential interaction between the two parameters, breast size and firmness, which, taken together, may help to explain the relatively large variation in women's breast sizes.

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“…More recently, some studies employed more realistic avatars, digitally manipulated in five (Swami &Tovée, 2013a, 2013b or even 14 (Swami et al, 2015) breast size steps.…”

Section: Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Men's preferences for women's breast size and shape in four cultures

Havlı́ček

Třebický

Valentová

et al. 2017

Evolution and Human Behavior

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“…For studies with participants who are older or belong to another anthropological type, the methodology or stimuli will need to be adapted. For instance, to attenuate the impact of perceived ethnicity, the stimuli might be presented in grayscale (Swami, Cavelti, Taylor, & Tovée, 2015). Furthermore, to control for the perceived differences between computer-generated bodies and participants' bodies, researchers could ask participants, using Likert scales, how different they find the shapes of the computer-generated bodies from their own.…”

Section: Limitationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A database of body-only computer-generated pictures of women for body-image studies: Development and preliminary validation

et al. 2016

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The body-shape-related stimuli used in most bodyimage studies have several limitations (e.g., a lack of pilot validation procedures and the use of non-body-shape-related control/neutral stimuli). We therefore developed a database of 61 computer-generated body-only pictures of women, wherein bodies were methodically manipulated in terms of fatness versus thinness. Eighty-two young women assessed the pictures' attractiveness, beauty, harmony (valence ratings), and body shape (assessed on a thinness/fatness axis), providing normative data for valence and body shape ratings. First, stimuli manipulated for fatness versus thinness conveyed comparable emotional intensities regarding the valence and body shape ratings. Second, different subcategories of stimuli were obtained on the basis of variations in body shape and valence judgments. Fat and thin bodies were distributed into several subcategories depending on their valence ratings, and a subcategory containing stimuli that were neutral in terms of valence and body shape was identified. Interestingly, at a descriptive level, the thinness/fatness manipulations of the bodies were in a curvilinear relationship with the valence ratings: Thin bodies were not only judged as positive, but also as negative when their estimated body mass indexes (BMIs) decreased too much. Finally, convergent validity was assessed by exploring the impacts of body-image-related variables (BMI, thin-ideal internalization, and body dissatisfaction) on participants' judgments of the bodies. Valence judgments, but not body shape judgments, were influenced by the participants' levels of thin-ideal internalization and body dissatisfaction. Participants' BMIs did not significantly influence their judgments. Given these findings, this database contains relevant material that can be used in various fields, primarily for studies of body-image disturbance or eating disorders.

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“…To investigate this rather neglected area of research, we employed images taken from the familiar Photographic Figure Rating Scale (Swami et al, 2008a(Swami et al, , 2008b. These were divided into torso, legs and arms, from which we could construct composite images for our participants to inspect, and then to rank-order these from the thinnest to the largest body shape.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rank-Order of Body Shapes Reveals Internal Hierarchy of Body Image

Naor-Ziv

King

Glicksohn

2020

jpor

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How do individuals rank body shapes? Does this relate to the body part one is most dissatisfied with? Our study investigates whether one can generalize regarding how women represent the body. Three BMI-calibrated images from the Photographic Figure Rating Scale, representative of thin (BMI = 14.72), medium (BMI = 20.33), and large (BMI = 29.26) shapes, were divided into torso, legs and arms, and saved as individual images on a black background. Of 27 possible composite images, 8 were chosen based on a Torso (thin vs. large) × Leg (thin/large vs. medium) × Arm (thin vs. large) design. Our 44 female participants ordered these from thinnest to largest. This was first according to torso, then leg, and finally arm: 41 individuals agreed on the thinnest image (thin torso, thin legs, thin arms), followed by a second image (thin torso, thin legs, large arms, n = 26; or thin torso, medium legs, thin arms, n = 10). One participant differed markedly in her choice of the first image (large torso, medium legs, thin arms). Interestingly, she scored 10 on the EDI-2 scale of Bulimic Tendencies, revealing high risk for bulimia, suggesting that our task might be useful for studying eating disorders. Our juxtaposition of two analytic procedures—partial order scalogram analysis (POSAC) and cluster analysis—enables one to uncover such outliers in a data set. Importantly, the 2D POSAC space clearly reveals the hierarchical structure of the body image.

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The Breast Size Rating Scale: Development and psychometric evaluation

Cited by 18 publications

References 47 publications

Men's preferences for women's breast size and shape in four cultures

Men's preferences for women's breast size and shape in four cultures

A database of body-only computer-generated pictures of women for body-image studies: Development and preliminary validation

Rank-Order of Body Shapes Reveals Internal Hierarchy of Body Image

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