Bodily Threat Monitoring Scale (BTMS)
Measures bodily threat monitoring, assessing how individuals monitor for and interpret uncertain symptoms as indicating that something is wrong with their body.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Bodily Threat Monitoring Scale (BTMS) was developed by Lauren C. Heathcote, Sarah N. Webster, Nele Loecher, Sheri L. Spunt, Pamela Simon, Poorva Pradhan, Daelin Coutts-Bain, Louise Sharpe, Perri R. Tutelman, Laura E. Simons (2023). It is designed to measure Bodily Threat Monitoring. The scale is intended for use with Cancer survivors (adult and childhood/adolescent).
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 19 items organized into 2 factors/subscales: Bodily monitoring, Bodily threat appraisals.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Bodily monitoring | 1,5,7,10,12,14,17 | 7 |
| Bodily threat appraisals | 2,3,4,6,8,9,11,13,15,16,18,19 | 12 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 0 = Not at all like me, 1 = A little bit like me, 2 = Moderately like me, 3 = Very like me, 4 = Entirely like me.
Scoring
Items are summed to produce a total score.
Total scores range from 0 to 76. Interpretation guidelines:
- Total Score Range (Higher scores indicate greater bodily threat monitoring): 0 – 76
Psychometric Properties
Internal Consistency: The scale has demonstrated good to excellent internal consistency with reported Cronbach’s alpha values of 0.90-0.96.
Administration
The scale is self-administered and typically takes approximately 5 minutes to complete. It can be administered individually or in group settings. No special training is required for administration.