QUESTIONNAIRE QIC

Age : ---------------------------- Sexe : --------------------------- Santé : ---------------------------

Nous vous demandons de penser à votre corps et d’évaluer l’impression globale que vous en avez. Pour cela, des
aspects de votre corps vous sont présentés sous forme bipolaire (bonne santé/mauvaise santé ; fragile/résistant,..).
Pour chacun de ces aspects, nous vous demandons de choisir une réponse parmi les 5 réponses possibles (1, 2, 3, 4
ou 5), en cochant d’une croix (X) la case qui correspond le mieux à la manière dont vous percevez cet aspect de
votre corps en ce moment. Evitez la réponse moyenne (3) autant que possible. En ce moment, vous considérez
votre corps comme :

1 2 3 4 5
Beaucoup Plutôt entre les deux Plutôt Beaucoup

1 2 3 4 5
1. en mauvaise santé en bonne santé

2. physiquement attirant non attirant

3. source de plaisir de déplaisir

4. féminin masculin

5. pur, propre impur, sale

6. exprimant la crainte exprimant l’audace

7. vide plein

8. quelque chose que l’on touche quelque chose que l’on ne touche pas

9. indifférent, froid tendre, chaleureux

10. exprimant la colère exprimant l’apaisement

11. expressif non expressif

12. quelque chose que l’on cache quelque chose que l’on montre

13. calme, serein nerveux, inquiet

14. vieux jeune

15. érotique non érotique

16. fragile, faible résistant, fort

17. joyeux triste

18. quelque chose que l’on ne regarde pas quelque chose que l’on regarde

19. énergique non énergique

 Total :
Scoring (in english) :
The total score of Body Satisfaction (BS) is obtained in adding les responses of the subjects to the 19 items of
the questionnaire :
 The responses of the items 1, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 14, 16, 18 are quoted from 1 to 5.
 The responses of the items 2, 3, 5, 8, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19 are quoted from 5 to 1
The total score varies from 19 (minimum) to 95 (maximum). See the scoring and the norms above.

Cotation (en français) :

Le score total de satisfaction corporelle (SC) est obtenu en additionnant les scores du sujet aux 19 items du
questionnaire (vous pouvez faire une grille de correction transparente à partir du document ci-dessous et
l’appliquer sur la feuille de réponses) :
 Les items 1, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 14, 16 et 18 sont cotés de 1 à 5.
 Les items 2, 3, 5, 8, 11, 13, 15, 17 et 19 sont cotés de 5 à 1.
 L’item 4 est coté de 1 à 5 pour les hommes et de 5 à 1 pour les femmes.
Le score final varie de 19 (minimum) à 95 (maximum). Voir les normes sur les documents ci-dessous.

1. en mauvaise santé 1 2 3 4 5 en bonne santé

2. physiquement attirant 5 4 3 2 1 non attirant

3. source de plaisir 5 4 3 2 1 de déplaisir

4. féminin (si femme) 5 4 3 2 1 masculin

4. féminin (si homme) 1 2 3 4 5 masculin
5. pur, propre 5 4 3 2 1 impur, sale

6. exprimant la crainte 1 2 3 4 5 exprimant l’audace

7. vide 1 2 3 4 5 plein

8. quelque chose que l’on touche 5 4 3 2 1 quelque chose que l’on ne touche pas

9. indifférent, froid 1 2 3 4 5 tendre, chaleureux

10. exprimant la colère 1 2 3 4 5 exprimant l’apaisement

11. expressif 5 4 3 2 1 non expressif

12. quelque chose que l’on cache 1 2 3 4 5 quelque chose que l’on montre

13. calme, serein 5 4 3 2 1 nerveux, inquiet

14. vieux 1 2 3 4 5 jeune

15. érotique 5 4 3 2 1 non érotique

16. fragile, faible 1 2 3 4 5 résistant, fort

17. joyeux 5 4 3 2 1 triste

 18. quelque chose que l’on ne regarde pas 1 2 3 4 5 quelque chose que l’on regarde

19. Energique 5 4 3 2 1 non énergique

Total : …………………………...

Validité, consistance interne, fidélité de QIC 1:

Le QIC a été appliqué à un échantillon de 1 222 sujets adultes français (542 hommes, âge moyen : 30,
7 ans, écart-type : 15, 4 ans ; 680 femmes, âge moyen : 27, 0 ans, écart-type de l’âge 11, 8 ans). Ce
groupe comprenait divers sous-groupes (317 étudiants en éducation physique, 611 étudiants en
sciences et en sciences humaines et sociales, 146 patients atteints de cancers, 140 patients
lombalgiques). Une analyse en composantes principales menée sur les réponses des hommes et des
femmes (analysées séparément et ensemble) a donné dans tous les cas un axe général saturant tous les
items (saturations supérieures ou égales à .30). L’axe isolé sur l’ensemble des sujets explique 25,6%
de la variance totale et a un alpha de Cronbach de .83. La fidélité test-retes, calculée sur les réponses
de 89 collégiens et lycéens (intervalle test-retest de 10 jours) est de +0,86.

Normes : Moyennes de satisfaction corporelle sur différents sous-groupes et sur le groupe total :

Groupe Hommes Femmes

Satisfaction Age Satisfaction Age
Corporelle Corporelle
Moyenne Ecart- Moyenne Ecart-type Moyenne Ecart- Moyenne Ecart-
type type type
Etudiants en 77,7 7,3 19,9 1,8 74,5 5,4 20,0 1 ?7
E.P.S.
Etudiants en 70,2 11,7 23,8 3,7 72,2 9,0 22,2 3,8
sciences sociales
Patients 72,5 10,2 57,4 11,2 77,8 9,4 48,8 9,7
cancéreux
Patients 77,2 9,7 42,4 11,6 67,4 11,7 43,9 11,2
lombalgiques
Total 73,9 10,5 30,7 15,4 72,9 9,0 27,0 11,8

Validité de critère de QIC :

-le score de Satisfaction corporelle est négativement corrélé avec l’anxiété-trait (de -.20 à -.53 selon
les groupes) et à l’anxiété-état (de -.20 à -.55).
- le score de Satisfaction Corporelle est négativement corrélé avec la dépression-état chez les
lombalgiques (-.31)
- le score de Satisfaction Corporelle est négativement corrélé avec l’alexithymie (-.28 chez les
étudiants en sciences sociales, -.30 chez les lombalgiques)
- le score de Satisfaction Corporelle est négativement corrélé avec le Névrosisme chez les étudiants en
Sciences Sociales (-.36).
- ce score est positivement corrélé avec l’extraversion chez les étudiants en sciences sociales (+.37)
- ce score n’est pas affecté par l’insincérité d’après les résultats des étudiants en sciences sociales et
des lombalgiques (avec l’échelle Lie de l’EPI, la corrélation n’est pas significative)

1
On trouvera tous les détails concernant cette validation du QIC sur 1222 sujets français dans l’article (pages suivantes):
Koleck, M., Bruchon-Schweitzer, M., Cousson-Gélie, F., Gilliard, J., Quintard, B. (2002). The body-image questionnaire : an extension,
Perceptual and Motor Skills, 94, 189-196.
- on observe une corrélation très modeste entre le score de SC et la désirabilité sociale, calculée chez
les étudiants en Sciences Sociales (r = +.15). Ces résultats sont identiques à ceux qui avaient été
observés en 1987 avec le score de satisfaction corporelle.
- enfin le score de SC prédit une durée d’hospitalisation plus courte chez les patients cancéreux
masculins (r=-.64), et une moindre anxiété-état et dépression-état ultérieures chez les patients
lombalgiques et les patientes atteintes de cancers du sein.
 Perceptual and Motor Skills, 2002, 94, 189-196
THE BODY-IMAGE QUESTIONNAIRE: AN EXTENSION2
MICHELE KOLECK, MARILOU BRUCHON-SCHWEITZER, FLORENCE COUSSON-GÉLIE, JEROME
GILLIARD and BRUNO QUINTARD.
Department of Psychology, University of Bordeaux 2, France3

Summary.- The 19-item Body-Image Questionnaire, developed by our team and first published in this
journal in 1987 (Bruchon-Schweitzer, 1987), was administered to 1222 male and female French subjects. A
principal component analysis of their responses yielded an axis interpreted as a general Body Satisfaction
dimension. The four-factor structure observed in 1987 was not replicated. Body Satisfaction was associated with
sex, health, and with current and future emotional adjustment.

In 1987, we administered the 19-item Body-Image Questionnaire to 619 French subjects (245 men and
374 women aged 10 to 40 yr.) to explore the dimensionality of perceptions, feelings, and attitudes expressed
towards one’s body (Bruchon-Schweitzer, 1987) 4. A principal factor analysis of this data yielded four axes with
an eigenvalue greater than one (explaining 84.60% of the total variance). The first axis was identified as
Favourable Body Image, accounting for 29.1% of the explained variance, with 16 items loading on it. Varimax
rotations were carried out on four axes, resulting in four meaningful factors: Accessibility/Closeness,
Satisfaction/Dissatisfaction, Activity/Passivity and Relaxation/Tension. The Body-Image Questionnaire is
provided in Table 1 below.
Insert Table 1 about here

A total Favourable Body Image score was calculated in adding the answers to the 16 items with a
loading greater than ½.30½ on the first axis. The means and standard deviations of the Favourable Body Image
score were calculated with data from 211 hospitalized patients and 200 control subjects (Bruchon-Schweitzer,
Quintard, Paulhan, Nuissier & Cousson, 1995). The mean Favourable Body Image score was lower in female
than male subjects in the hospitalized group (p<.01) as in the control group (p<.05). Hospitalized patients had a
more unfavourable body image than healthy subjects (p<.01). Furthermore, a favourable body image predicted a
better recovery of the hospitalized subjects, especially among female patients. The product-moment correlations
observed between Favourable Body Image scores and the somatic outcome (rated by the medical staff at the end
of the hospitalization) were .22 for the 106 male patients (p<.05) and .43 for the 105 female patients (p<.01).
The first goal of this investigation was to replicate both the factorial structure of the Body Image
Questionnaire obtained in 1987 on a new French sample and the link of a favourable body image with sex and
with health (construct validity). The second goal was to confirm the relations between the body image
dimensions and different personality variables evaluated simultaneously (discriminant validity). The third goal

2
We express our gratitude to Pr. Joël Swendsen for his help and advice in the translation.
3
Requests for reprints should be addressed to Marilou Bruchon-Schweitzer, Département de Psychologie, Université de Bordeaux 2, 3 ter,
Place de la Victoire, 33076 Bordeaux Cedex, France (e-mail : [email protected]).
4
A total of 137 male and female high school students were interviewed in 1987, and 300 words related to their body image were elicited.
These words were grouped into 13 large categories by a content analysis (Bruchon-Schweitzer, 1987). Each category was illustrated by one
or two bipolar items, resulting in the 19-item Body-Image Questionnaire (see Table 1).
was to explore the relations between a favourable current body image and other emotional and physical
outcomes in different groups of patients (predictive validity).

METHOD
The French version of the Body Image Questionnaire was administered to 1222 French subjects (542
men, 680 women): 319 physical education students (group A1: 176 men, group A2: 143 women), 613 sciences
and social sciences students (group B1: 221 men, B2: 392 women), 148 cancer patients (group C1: 68 men with
lung cancer, C2 : 80 women with breast cancer) and 142 low back pain patients (group D1: 77 men, D2: 65
women).5 Ages are given in Table 3 below.
Time 1: At the time they were administered the Body Image Questionnaire, 430 among the 613
students (group B) also answered the State Trait Anxiety Inventory, form Y (Spielberger, Gorsuch, Luschene,
Vagg & Jacobs, 1983 ; Bruchon-Schweitzer & Paulhan, 1993), the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20 (Bagby,
Parker & Taylor, 1994), the Eysenck Personality Inventory, form B (Eysenck & Eysenck, 1971), and a Social
Desirability Scale (Crowne & Marlowe, 1960). At time 1, the 68 male cancer patients and 75 of the 80 female
cancer patients (group C2) also answered the State Trait Anxiety Inventory form Y. At time 1, 99 of the 142 low
back pain patients (group D) also answered the State Trait Anxiety Inventory form Y, the Center for
Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (Radloff, 1977) and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale-20. 6
Time 2: For the male cancer patients (Group C1), health outcome was measured by the duration of the
post-surgical hospitalization calculated at the time of discharge (from 8 to 75 days) ; for the female cancer
patients (Group C2), the emotional outcome was measured two years later by State-Anxiety Inventory (on the 59
surviving subjects) and the physical outcome by the time of survival without relapse (in months). In the 99 low
back pain patients (Group D), the emotional outcome was evaluated one year later by State-Anxiety Inventory
and Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale.

RESULTS
Construct validity :
A principal component analysis was performed on the answers of the 1222 French subjects to the 19-
item Body-Image Questionnaire. It yielded five axes (eigenvalue > 1) explaining 52.1% of the total variance.
The first one, accounting for 25.6% of the total variance, was interpreted as a general Body Satisfaction factor.
All of the 19 items had notable loadings on this general axis (>½.30½). The internal consistency of the Body
Satisfaction scale on the whole group was satisfactory (a = .83). The test-retest reliability of the Body
Satisfaction Scale, calculated on 89 high school students (boys and girls) was .86 for a 10-day interval. A
principal component analysis, performed separately on males and females, gave quite similar solutions (cf. Table
2). All the solutions obtained after varimax rotations (4 and 5 axes, males and females separately or together)
were unclear and the four-factor structure observed in 1987 was not replicated. As a result, we only considered
the general Body Satisfaction score (Body Satisfaction) in the further analyses 7.
5
The students answered in groups of 20 to 25 persons.
4
The scales were administered to the patients during an individual encounter : at hospital admission (time 1), 12 hours to 48 hours before a
surgical operation (pneumonectomy) for the male cancer patients (C1) ; before the announcement of diagnosis and treatment, a neoadjuvant
chemotherapy (time 1), and two years after (time 2) for the breast cancer female patients (C2) ; after having consulted a physician for back
pain (time 1), and one year after (time 2) for low back pain patients (D).
6

7
The correlation between the original Favourable Body Image score and this new general Body Satisfaction score, calculated on the 1222
subjects, was .98 (p<.0001).
 Insert Table 2 here

Men reported significant higher scores of Body Satisfaction

than women in groups A and D (p<.01). Healthy subjects are generally more satisfied with their body than
patients. Curiously, the female cancer patients (Group C2) had the higher mean score and the male students very
low scores on general Body Satisfaction. Body Satisfaction was not associated with age in the overall sample
(r=-.02, ns).The mean scores of the eight subgroups of subjects in Body Satisfaction are presented in Table 3.
Insert Table 3 about here
Discriminant validity:
Scores ob Body Satisfaction were significantly associated with scores on personality variables and with
some response attitude scales. Body Satisfaction was negatively correlated with Trait-Anxiety in groups B
(r=-.20, p<.05), C1 (r=-.46, p<.01), C2 (r=-.30, p<.01), and D (r=-.53, p<.01), with State-Anxiety in groups B
(r=-.39, p<.01), C1 (r=-.55, p<.01), C2 (r=-.43, p<.01), and D (r=-.20, p<.05), with State-Depression in group D
(r=-.31, p<.01), with Alexithymia in groups B (r=-.28, p<.01) and D (r=-.30, p<.01) and with Neuroticism in
group B (r=-.36, p<.01). Body Satisfaction was positively correlated with Extraversion in group B (r=+.37,
p<.01). Body Satisfaction was not associated with the Lie scale of the Eysenck Personality Inventory for Groups
B and D (r=-.08, N.S. ; r=-.12, N.S.). The correlation with scores on Social Desirability, calculated in the student
group only (group B), was very small (r=+.15, p<.01). These results are close to those observed in 1987 with
Body Image Questionnaire and Eysenck Personality Inventory.
Insert Table 4 about here

Predictive validity:
Initial Body Satisfaction was negatively associated with State-Anxiety in the 59 surviving women with
cancer of the Group C2 (r=-.38, p<.01). Body Satisfaction was negatively linked to State-Depression for 90
patients of the Group D (r=-.23, p<.01). Body Satisfaction was negatively associated with duration of post-
surgical hospital stay in the 68 male cancer patients (r=-.64, p<.01), but the positive relation observed between
Body Satisfaction score and survival duration without relapse two years later in 75 women breast cancer patients
(r=+.09) was not significant (see Table 4).

DISCUSSION
A unidimensional structure of body image was confirmed in the present study. The general Body
Satisfaction factor (as the Favourable Body Image score in the first study) appears as a general and stable
component of body image. This dimension is probably very close to that of body satisfaction as assessed by the
Body Cathexis Scale of Secord & Jourard (1953), which was associated with many functional variables. The
general Body Satisfaction score will be used in place of the original score, Favourable Body Image, in the further
research.
The relative body dissatisfaction of the female subjects reflects probably their specific body concerns and
worries and the pressure of high standards of feminine beauty in our culture (Bruchon-Schweitzer, 1990). Group
B is an exception : male students reported significantly lower scores of Body Satisfaction than female students.
This difference may be related to most females in our sample studying social sciences whereas most male
studied other sciences (biology and physics). The high mean Body Satisfaction scores of the female cancer
patients is very notable, considering the deleterious effects of this disease and of the associated treatments on
each patient’s body. The results for the women with breast cancer presented here belong to a larger study
conducted by one of the present authors (Cousson-Gélie, 2000) who observed similar differences between breast
cancer patients and control subjects: higher general Body Satisfaction scores and lower State-Anxiety (STAI-Y)
in the first group. Several authors have observed low scores of anxiety and depression for cancer patients
(Cooper & Watson, 1991). These counterintuitive results may be attributed to the effects of specific defensive
attitudes developed by cancer patients (denial, emotional suppression), to cope with acute fear and distress
induced by the specific aesthetic and health-related consequences of this illness (Greer, Morris & Pettingale,
1979). The relatively high Body Satisfaction scores of the male patients with low back pain may reflect another
kind of defensive attitude in that group (reduced mobility associated with back pain is incompatible with
normative representations of virility).
Mean Body Satisfaction scores were high in physical education students and low in female back pain patients.
As in our first study, the body image is generally more favorable in healthy and vigorous subjects, except in
some groups possibly using defensive attitudes to conceal their distress (the women with cancer and the male
with back pain here). These results support the construct validity of the Body Satisfaction scale.
The Body Satisfaction scores vary directly with positive
affectivity (Extraversion) and inversely with negative affectivity assessed at the same time (State and Trait-
Anxiety, Neuroticism, State-Depression) or later (State-Anxiety, State-Depression). These results agree with
previous research (Bruchon-Schweitzer, 1987 ; Secord & Jourard, 1953). A favourable body image is associated
with current and further emotional adjustment. If the Body Satisfaction score is not affected by insincerity (Lie
scale), it is slightly contaminated by social desirability which is a more subtle response-shift bias (this correlation
has been calculated in the student sample only) 8. In the present study, Body Satisfaction was associated with
good health (as in 1987), but this association was significant for male cancer patients only. Considering the
prospective nature of the results gathered on these patients, we can conclude that general Body Satisfaction plays
a protective role when individuals have to cope with a serious illness threatening their sex-role identity.
However, the links between Body Satisfaction and social desirability, and the pathways between personality,
body image, defensive attitudes and health issues should be explored with structural equation modeling in further
studies conducted with groups of patients.

REFERENCES
BAGBY, R. M., PARKER, J. D. A., & TAYLOR, G. J. (1994) The 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale: I. Item selection and cross-
validation of the factor structure. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 38, 1, 23-32.
BRUCHON-SCHWEITZER, M. (1987) Dimensionality of the body image: the Body-Image Questionnaire. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 65,
887-892.
BRUCHON-SCHWEITZER, M. (1990) Une psychologie du corps. Paris: PUF.
BRUCHON-SCHWEITZER, M., & PAULHAN, I. (1993) Manuel français de l’échelle d’Anxiété-Trait – Anxiété-Etat de C. D. Spielberger.
Paris: ECPA.

8
In 1987, body activity, one of the four components of Body Image, was the only factor to be linked with social desirability. Social
desirability as measured by Crowne and Marlowe scale comprises two components: self-deception and impression management (Paulhus,
1984). It would be interesting to know if Social Desirability correlates with Body Satisfaction in female cancer patients and in male low back
pain patients and if so, to know which one of the two components of Social Desirability links more with Body Satisfaction (self-deception,
probably).
BRUCHON-SCHWEITZER, M., QUINTARD, B., PAULHAN, I., NUISSIER, J., & COUSSON, F. (1995) Psychological adjustment to
hospitalization : factorial structure, antecedents and outcome. Psychological Reports, 76, 1091-1100.
COOPER, C. L., & WATSON, M. (1991) Cancer and stress. New York: Wiley.
COUSSON-GÉLIE, F. (2000) Breast cancer, coping, and quality of life: a semi-prospective study. European Review of Applied Psychology,
50, 3, 315-320 .
CROWNE, D. P., & MARLOWE, D. (1960) A new scale of social desirability independent of psychopathology. Journal of Consulting
Psychology, 24, 4, 349-354.
EYSENCK, H. J., & EYSENCK, S. B. G. (1971) Manuel EPI. Paris: ECPA.
GREER, S., MORRIS, T., & PETTINGALE, K. W. (1979) Psychological response to breast cancer. The Lancet, 13, 785-787.
PAULHUS, D. L. (1984) Two-components models of socially desirable responding. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 46, 3,
598-609.
RADLOFF, L. S. (1977) The CES-D Scale: a self-report depression scale for research in the general population. Applied Psychological
Measurement, 1, 3, 385-401.
SECORD, P. F., & JOURARD, S. M. (1953) The appraisal of Body Cathexis: Body Cathexis and the self. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 17, 5,
343-347.
SPIELBERGER, C. D., GORSUCH, R. L., LUSCHENE, R., VAGG, P. R., & JACOBS, G. A. (1983) Manual for the State-Trait Anxiety
Inventory (STAI, Form Y). Palo Alto (CA): Consulting Psychologists Press.

Table 1 : The English version of the 19-item Body-Image Questionnaire

1 : very much, often ; 2 : fairly, fairly often ; 3: in between, neither one ; 4: fairly, fairly often ; 5: very much,
often
bad health (en mauvaise santé) 1 2 3 4 5 healthy (en bonne santé)
physically attractive (physiquement 5 4 3 2 1 physically unattractive (non attirant)
attirant) source of displeasure (source de déplaisir)
source of pleasure (source de plaisir) 5 4 3 2 1 masculine (masculin) cote 1-2-3-4-5 boys
feminine (féminin) cote 5 4 3 2 1 girls 1 2 3 4 5 boys
5 4 3 2 1 girls impure, dirty (impur, sale)
pure, clean (pur, propre) 5 4 3 2 1 expressing daring (exprimant l’audace)
expressing fear (exprimant la crainte) 1 2 3 4 5 full (plein)
empty (vide) 1 2 3 4 5 something not to be touched (quelque
something to be touched (quelque chose 5 4 3 2 1 chose que l’on ne touche pas)
que l’on touche) tender, loving (tendre, chaleureux)
indifferent, cold (indifférent, froid) 1 2 3 4 5 expressing appeasing (expr. l’apaisement)
expressing anger (exprimant la colère) 1 2 3 4 5 unexpressive (non expressif)
expressive (expressif) 5 4 3 2 1 something to be shown (quelque chose
something to be hidden (quelque chose que l’on montre)
que l’on cache) 1 2 3 4 5 nervous, worried (nerveux, inquiet)
calm, serene (calme, serein) 5 4 3 2 1 young (jeune)
old (vieux) 1 2 3 4 5 not sexy (non érotique)
sexy (érotique) 5 4 3 2 1 robust, resistant (résistant, fort)
frail (fragile, faible) 1 2 3 4 5 sad (triste)
cheerful (joyeux) 5 4 3 2 1 something to be looked at (quelque chose
something not to be looked at (quelque que l’on regarde)
chose que l’on ne regarde pas) 1 2 3 4 5 not energic (non énergique)
energic (énergique) 5 4 3 2 1

These 19 items are not the original ones; they have been translated into English on purpose for this publication.

Table 2 : Loadings of 19 Body-Image Questionnaire items on the first axis for the 542 males, the 680 females
and the whole group (N=1222).
Factors loadings
 Males Females Total
BIQ items (N=542) (N=680) (N=1222)
17. sad -0.64 -0.69 -0.66
18. something to be looked at 0.65 0.60 0.61
3. source of displeasure -0.58 -0.64 -0.61
9. tender, loving 0.59 0.59 0.59
12. something to be shown 0.55 0.63 0.59
2. physically unattractive -0.60 -0.56 -0.58
19. not energic -0.64 -0.51 -0.57
6. expressing daring 0.47 0.53 0.50
11. unexpressive -0.50 -0.50 -0.49
8. something not to be touched -0.59 (-0.39) -0.49
15. not sexy -0.48 -0.50 -0.49
16. robust, resistant 0.56 ( 0.38) 0.47
7. full 0.52 0.42 0.47
1. healthy 0.51 (0.39) 0.45
5. impure, dirty -0.46 -0.40 -0.42
14. young 0.50 (0.36) 0.42
13. nervous, worried (-0.33) -0.42 (-0.38)
10. expressing appeasing (0.34) (0.37) (0.36)
4. masculine (men) / feminine (women) (0.27) (0.32) (0.30)
% explained variance 27.5 24.5 25.6
Cronbach’s a 0.85 0.82 0.83

Table 3 : Body Satisfaction mean score of 319 physical education students (A1=176 males, A2=143 females), 613
social sciences and sciences students (B1=221 males, B2=392 females), 148 cancer patients (C1=68 males, C2=80
females) and 142 low back pain patients (D1=77 males, D2=65 females).
Males Females
Mean Body satisfaction Mean Body satisfaction Student’s t
Group age score age score df
S.D. S.D. S.D. S.D.
A: physical education students
(N=319) 19.9 77.66 20.0 74.46 4.51**
A1=176 males 1.8 7.29 1.7 5.36 317
A2=143 females
B: social sciences and sciences
students (N=613) 23.8 70.16 22.2 72.20 -2.25*
B1=221 males 3.7 11.68 3.8 8.95 611
B2=392 females
C: cancer patients 57.4 72.49 48.8 77.84 -3.29**
C1=68 males 11.2 10.24 9.7 9.37 146
C2=80 females
D: low back pain patients 42.4 77.18 43.9 67.43 5.34**
D1=77 males 11.6 9.69 11.2 11.74 140
D2=65 females
Total: 30.7 73.88 27.00 72.88 1.75
542 males 15.4 10.53 11.8 9.04 1220
680 females
** : p<.01 * : p<.05

Table 4 : Product-moment correlations between Body Satisfaction and several criteria of emotional and physical
adjustment in 430 students in psychology (B), 99 low back pain patients (D) and 148 cancer patients (C 1=68
males(3), C2=59 females for (1) and 75 females for (2)).
General Body Satisfaction
Concurrent validity (time1) B C1 C2 D
Trait-Anxiety (STAi-Y) -0.52** -0.46** -0.30** -0.53**
State-Anxiety (STAI-Y) -0.39** -0.55** -0.43** -0.20*
State-Depression (CES-D) - - - -0.31**
Alexithymia (TAS-20) -0.28** - - -0.30**
Neuroticism (EPI) -0.36** - - -
Extraversion (EPI) 0.37** - - -
L scale (EPI) -0.08 - - -0.12
Social Desirability (SD) 0.15** - - -
Predictive validity (time 2) B C1 C2 D
State-Anxiety (STAI-Y) - - -0.38** (1) -0.15
State-Depression (CES-D) - - - -0.23**
Survival duration without relapse - - 0.09(2) -
Duration of post-surgical hospitalization - -0.64**(3) - -
**: p<.01 *: p<.05