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On the measurement of thin‐ideal internalization: Implications for interpretation of risk factors and treatment outcome in eating disorders research
Author(s) -
Thompson J. Kevin,
Schaefer Lauren M.,
Dedrick Robert F.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
international journal of eating disorders
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.785
H-Index - 138
eISSN - 1098-108X
pISSN - 0276-3478
DOI - 10.1002/eat.22839
Subject(s) - psychology , internalization , construct (python library) , confirmatory factor analysis , eating disorders , psychometrics , human physical appearance , social psychology , developmental psychology , clinical psychology , structural equation modeling , medicine , computer science , receptor , machine learning , programming language
Objective Although the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire (SATAQ) and Ideal Body Stereotype Scale (IBSS) are used interchangeably to assess thin ideal internalization, limited work has examined the assumption that the two measures index the same construct. Method The current study utilized confirmatory factor analysis to examine whether these measures capture a single construct (one‐factor), two constructs (two‐factor), or both shared and unique constructs (bifactor). The SATAQ‐4R‐Internalization: Thin/Low Body Fat subscale and IBSS‐Revised were administered to 1,114 college females. Results A bifactor model provided the best fit to the data. Further, the SATAQ‐4R was more strongly related to disordered eating and body satisfaction than the IBSS‐R. Discussion Results indicate that the two most commonly used measures of internalization capture both shared and unique constructs. While both measures appear to contribute to the assessment of a global internalization factor, the SATAQ‐4R may be better suited to assess personal acceptance of and desire to achieve a thin body, while the IBSS‐R may be better suited to assess an awareness or acknowledgement of broader sociocultural ideals (e.g., toned, shapely bodies). Continued psychometric investigation of the scales is recommended in order to ensure targeted assessment of the intended constructs.