Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-xbtfd Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-20T04:16:32.230Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

A modified video camera for measuring body image distortion: technical description and reliability

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

Richard J. Freeman*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B. C., Canada.
Cheryl D. Thomas
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B. C., Canada.
Leslie Solyom
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B. C., Canada.
Michael A. Hunter
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B. C., Canada.
*
1Address for correspondence: Dr Richard J. Freeman, Department of Psychology, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B. C., Canada V5A 1S6.

Synopsis

Previously employed techniques for the measurement of body image are briefly described, with a short consideration of methodological or procedural limitations associated with each technique. A new procedure is described which employs a simple modification to a standard video camera to produce an image which appears from 20% thinner to 40% fatter than the actual person, without other distortion of the image. Reliability and preliminary validity data for the new procedure are presented.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1984

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Allebeck, P., Hallberg, D. & Espmark, S. (1976). Body image – an apparatus for measuring disturbances in estimation of size and shape. Journal of Psychosomatic Research 20, 583589.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Askevold, F. (1975). Measuring body image: preliminary report of a new method. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics 26, 7177.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bruch, H. (1962). Perceptual and conceptual disturbances in anorexia nervosa. Psychosomatic Medicine 24, 187194.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bruch, H. (1975). Anorexia nervosa. In American Handbook of Psychiatry, Vol. 4. (ed. Arieti, S.), pp. 787809. Basic Books: New York.Google Scholar
Button, E., Fransella, F. & Slade, P. (1977). A reappraisal of body perception disturbance in anorexia nervosa. Psychological Medicine 7, 235243.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Casper, R., Halmi, K., Goldberg, S., Eckert, E. & Davis, J. (1979). Disturbances in body image estimation as related to other characteristics and outcome in anorexia nervosa. British Journal of Psychiatry 134, 6066.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Crisp, A. & Kalucy, R. (1974). Aspects of the perceptual disorder in anorexia nervosa. British Journal of Medical Psychology 47, 349361.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fisher, S. & Cleveland, S. (1958). Body Image and Personality. Dover: New York.Google Scholar
Freeman, R., Thomas, C., Solyom, L. & Miles, J. (1983). Body image disturbances in anorexia nervosa: a re-examination and a new technique. In Anorexia Nervosa: Recent Developments in Research (ed. Garfinkel, P., Garner, D., Darby, P. and Coscina, D.), pp. 117127. Alan R. Liss: New York.Google Scholar
Fries, H. (1977). Studies on secondary amenorrhea, anorectic behaviour and body image perception. In Anorexia Nervosa (ed. Vigersky, R.), pp. 163176. Raven Press: New York.Google Scholar
Garfinkel, P., Moldofsky, H. & Garner, D. (1977). The outcome of anorexia nervosa: clinical features, body image, and behaviour modification. In Anorexia Nervosa (ed. Vigersky, R.), pp. 315330. Raven Press: New York.Google ScholarPubMed
Garfinkel, P., Moldofsky, H. & Garner, D. (1979). The stability of perceptual disturbances in anorexia nervosa. Psychological Medicine 9, 703708.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Garner, D. & Garfinkel, P. (1979). The Eating Attitudes Test: an index of the symptoms of anorexia nervosa. Psychological Medicine 9, 273279.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Garner, D. & Garfinkel, P. (1981). Body image in anorexia nervosa: measurement, theory and clinical implications. International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine 11, 263284.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Garner, D., Garfinkel, P., Stancer, H. & Moldofsky, H. (1976). Body image disturbances in anorexia nervosa and obesity. Psychosomatic Medicine 38, 327336.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Glucksman, M. & Hirsch, J. (1969). The response of obese patients to weight reduction. III. The perception of body size. Psychosomatic Medicine 31, 17.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gottesman, E. & Caldwell, W. (1966). The body-image identification test: a quantitative protective technique to study an aspect of body image. Journal of Genetic Psychology 108, 1933.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Halmi, K., Goldberg, S. & Cunningham, S. (1977). Perceptual distortion of body image in adolescent girls: distortion of body image in adolescence. Psychological Medicine 7, 253257.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Machover, K. (1975). Personality Projection in the Drawing of a Human Figure. C. C. Thomas: Springfield, Ill.Google Scholar
Pierloot, R. & Houben, M. (1978). Estimation of body dimensions in anorexia nervosa. Psychological Medicine 8, 317324.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Reitman, E. & Cleveland, S. (1964). Changes in body image following sensory deprivation in schizophrenic and control groups. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology 68, 168176.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Roback, H. (1968). Human figure drawings: their utility in the psychologist's armamentarium for personality assessment. Psychological Bulletin 70, 119.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Russell, G. (1979). Bulimia nervosa: an ominous variant of anorexia nervosa. Psychological Medicine 9, 429448.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Secord, P. & Jourard, S. (1953). The appraisal of body-cachexis: body-cachexis and the self. Journal of Consulting Psychology 17, 343347.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Slade, P. & Russell, G. (1973). Awareness of body dimensions in anorexia nervosa: cross-sectional and longitudinal studies. Psychological Medicine 3, 188199.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Strober, M., Goldenberg, I., Green, J. & Saxon, J. (1979). Body image disturbance in anorexia nervosa during the acute and recuperative phase. Psychological Medicine 9, 695701.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Swensen, C. H. (1975). Empirical evaluation of human figure drawings. Psychological Bulletin 54, 431466.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Traub, A. & Orbach, J. (1964). Psychophysical studies of body image. I. The adjustable body-distorting mirror. Archives of General Psychiatry 11, 5366.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wingate, B. & Christie, M. (1978). Ego strength and body image in anorexia nervosa. Journal of Psychosomatic Research 22, 201204.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Witkin, H. (1965). Development of the body concept and psychological differentiation. In The Body Percept (ed. Wapner, S. and Werner, H.), pp. 82106. Random House: New York.Google Scholar