Psychometric Qualities of the Figure Rating Scale

The Figure Rating Scale is a widely used measure of body image disturbance that consists of a series of nine schematic figures of varying size. In previous research, investigators have measured many different aspects of figure selection, including ideal body size, current body size, and the figure subjects believe is most attractive to the opposite sex. Important findings have eventuated from research using this index of body image. However, minimal attention has focused on an examination of the psychometric properties of the Figure Rating Scale. In the current study, reliability and validity studies were completed on separate samples of male and female college students. The findings indicate good test—retest reliability and moderate correlations with other measures of body image dissatisfaction, eating disturbance, and overall self‐esteem. It is concluded that the Figure Rating Scale is an appropriate tool for the investigation of body image disturbance