The Tridimensional Body Image Test: A new tool for assessing body image distortion
Giorgio Schinco, Andrea Pozza, Davide Dèttore
This preliminary contribution describes a new tool for assessing body image distortion created through a tridimensional modelling software program for the Italian context, the Tridimensional Body Image Test (TriBIT). Gender differences in specific distortion indices (whole body, abdomen and buttocks) and their association with constructs that literature has already shown to correlate with body image distortion (perfectionism, self-esteem and body dissatisfaction) were analysed. 197 young adults from the general population participated (average age = 23.02 years; SD = 2.78) and completed the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale and the Body Uneasiness Test. Higher scores were found on the abdomen and buttock distortion indices in females compared to males and vice versa on those of the whole body. Differences emerged in the associations investigated considering different subgroups. In males, but particularly in females, the distortion of the whole body was related to body dissatisfaction; in the latter the distortion of the abdomen also had the same association. In the groups divided by Body Mass Index (BMI) level, however, the association between the whole body index and body dissatisfaction disappeared, but this association with the buttock distortion index in normal weight subjects was observed. Furthermore, in overweight and underweight subjects, the abdomen distortion index was correlated to different dimensions of body dissatisfaction. The indices were found to be related to perfectionism in a varied way in the different subgroups and the buttock distortion index was found to be negatively associated with self-esteem, and only in normal weight subjects. Distortion indices correlated with each other in most subgroups. TriBIT proves to be a promising tool: possible areas of use, limits and future directions in clinical psychology are discussed.
Keywords
Body image distortion, Eating disorders, Body dysmorphic disorder, Self-esteem, Perfectionism, Body dissatisfaction, Clinical psychology.