Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire – MBSRQ
A self-report inventory designed to assess cognitive, behavioral, and affective components of body image.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire – MBSRQ was developed by Thomas F. Cash (2000). It is designed to measure Body Image. The scale is intended for use with Adults and adolescents.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 69 items organized into 10 factors/subscales: Appearance Evaluation, Appearance Orientation, Fitness Evaluation, Fitness Orientation, Health Evaluation, Health Orientation, Illness Orientation, Overweight Preoccupation, Self-Classified Weight, Body Areas Satisfaction Scale.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Appearance Evaluation | 5,11,21,30,39,42,48 | 7 |
| Appearance Orientation | 1,2,12,13,22,23,31,32,40,41,49,50 | 12 |
| Fitness Evaluation | 3,14,24,33,51 | 5 |
| Fitness Orientation | 4,6,15,16,25,26,34,35,43,44,52,53 | 12 |
| Health Evaluation | 7,17,27,28,36,45,54 | 7 |
| Health Orientation | 8,9,18,19,29,38 | 6 |
| Illness Orientation | 37,46,47,55,56 | 5 |
| Overweight Preoccupation | 10,20,57,58 | 4 |
| Self-Classified Weight | 59,60 | 2 |
| Body Areas Satisfaction Scale | 61,62,63,64,65,66,67,68,69 | 9 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Definitely Disagree, 2 = Mostly Disagree, 3 = Neither Agree Nor Disagree, 4 = Mostly Agree, 5 = Definitely Agree.
The scale includes 20 reverse-scored items to reduce acquiescence bias.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 69 to 345. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low Body Image Satisfaction / Low Orientation: 69 – 160
- Moderate Body Image Satisfaction / Orientation: 161 – 250
- High Body Image Satisfaction / High Orientation: 251 – 345
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of Cronbach's alpha ranges from 0.70 to 0.90 for the subscales.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 15 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.