Motivations to Eat Scale – MEAS
Measures the psychological, social, and emotional motivations driving eating behavior.
Scale Development & Technical Details
Scale Overview
The Motivations to Eat Scale – MEAS was developed by Cooper, M. L., Jackson, M. L., et al. (2003). It is designed to measure Eating Motivations. The scale is intended for use with Adults.
Scale Structure
This instrument consists of 20 items organized into 4 factors/subscales: Pleasure, Social, Coping, Compliance.
| Factor / Subscale | Items | N |
|---|---|---|
| Pleasure | 1,2,3,6,8 | 5 |
| Social | 4,12,13,14,18 | 5 |
| Coping | 5,7,9,10,11 | 5 |
| Compliance | 15,16,17,19,20 | 5 |
Response Format
Respondents rate each item using a custom response format.
Response anchors: 1 = Almost never/never, 2 = Seldom, 3 = Sometimes, 4 = Often, 5 = Almost always/always.
Scoring
Items are scored by subscale, with each subscale sum representing a distinct dimension.
Total scores range from 20 to 100. Interpretation guidelines:
- Low motivation: 20 – 45
- Moderate motivation: 46 – 75
- High motivation: 76 – 100
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.