The 10-item Beliefs About Penis Size Scale (BAPS; Veale et al., 2014) measures boys’ and men’s beliefs about masculinity and shame related to their penis size. Penis size is a primary appearance concern of men, and these concerns may result in penile dysmorphic disorder, which is a form of body dysmorphic disorder specifically focused on being preoccupied with and distressed by one’s penis size. The BAPS can be administered online or in-person to adolescents and adults and is free to use. This chapter discusses the development of the BAPS and provides evidence of its psychometrics. Findings suggest that the BAPS is a unidimensional measure. Internal consistency reliability as well as convergent, concurrent, and discriminant validity support the use of the BAPS with boys and men. This chapter provides the BAPS items in their entirety, instructions for administering the BAPS to participants, item response scale, and scoring procedure. Logistics of use, such as permissions, copyright, and contact information, are provided for readers.

Research involvement is good for both patients and clinicians. In healthcare organisations that are research active, not only are mortality outcomes better, but clinicians are happier and retention rates better. In this chapter we consider how early career clinicians can involve themselves in research, for the benefit of your clinical practice and your patients. It is important to foster early exposure to research, which also makes further involvement in research a less intimidating venture. The only warning attached to that is that once you’ve had a taste of research involvement, and seen your first publication in print, you may find it hard to leave it behind! Establishing research skills early in one’s career can have advantages; firstly, it encourages critical thinking on how to approach any patient, their presenting difficulties and the selection of appropriate interventions. Further, being able to appraise the expanding and complex (and often contradictory) evidence base is a vital skill any clinician will utilise throughout their career. Finally, it is, or can be, enormous fun!

The Photographic Figure Rating Scale (PFRS; Swami et al., 2008) is a figural rating scale developed to assess body dissatisfaction (actual-ideal body size discrepancy) and consists of 10 photographic images of real women varying in body mass index from emaciated to “obese”. The PFRS can be administered online or in-person to women and is free to use for non-commercial purposes. This chapter discusses the development of the original PFRS, before providing evidence of its psychometric properties. Specifically, scores on the PFRS have been found to have adequate test-retest reliability and good patterns of convergent and criterion-related validity. Next, this chapter provides the PFRS images, as well as full instructions for administration to participants, the suggested questions, and the scoring procedure. Known translations are described and logistics of use are provided for readers.

Health research needs to reflect meaningful ethnic diversity in research design and recruitment. This chapter outlines some of the factors that both contribute and perpetuate barriers to effective representation of minority ethnicities in research and concludes with some recommendations that can be adopted to improve engagement of minority ethnicities in research as a forethought in research design and application.The term minority ethnics is used in recognition that white people also have ethnicities but is interchangeable with ethnic minorities. The chapter uses examples of how the two largest minority ethnicities comprising South Asians and African-Caribbeans in the UK are consistently under-represented in health research of diabetes, dementia, cardiovascular and cancer medicine where they are disproportionately over-burdened compared to the white population. As a consequence, much of the good research in these conditions is mainly based upon white populations with generalisation to other minority ethnic groups. We highlight how disaggregation of ethnic population data is essential to identify differential cultural, social and health needs and how generalisability of health interventions are potentially flawed by a lack of minority ethnic representation leading to either inaccurate or ineffective health interventions that lead to poorer health outcomes.Despite little research into the factors that contribute to this under-representation, the few studies that exist help outline their origins within historical, cultural, experiential and perceptual mistrust perpetuated by systematic and institutional racism. These key barriers need to be understood to avoid perpetuating these pitfalls in future research. The chapter concludes with ways to facilitate and implement solutions guided by the principles of community-based participatory research.

This chapter outlines the basic principles of qualitative research in the context of mental health. We begin by discussing the philosophy of reality and knowledge production, demonstrating how these discussions filter through to every aspect of qualitative research. We then explain the fundamental elements of qualitative research, including how to formulate a research question, different methodological approaches, the application of qualitative methods in clinical trials, data collection, sampling, and analysis. This chapter also focuses on how qualitative research can make a change, providing unique insights on how to influence policy and engage government. We devote a substantial part of the chapter to research ethics and reflexivity, summarising not only basic bioethical principles, but thinking about ethics from an anti-colonial perspective. We end the chapter by exploring what constitutes high quality qualitative research, laying out some guiding principles and practices for promoting quality. Our aim with this chapter is not to provide an exhaustive account of qualitative research, rather to offer guidance and inspiration to fledgling researchers who would like to find out more.

The Breast Size Rating Scale (BSRS; Swami et al., 2015) is a figural rating scale developed to assess breast size dissatisfaction (actual-ideal breast size discrepancy), theorised to be a facet of negative body image. The BSRS consists of 14 computer-generated images of women varying in breast size alone. The BSRS can be administered online or in-person to women and is free to use for non-commercial purposes. This chapter discusses the development of the BSRS, before providing evidence of its psychometric properties. Specifically, scores on the BSRS have adequate test-retest reliability and good patterns of convergent, criterion-related, and incremental validity. Next, this chapter provides the BSRS in full and instructions for administering the BSRS to participants, the suggested questions, and the scoring procedure. Known translations are described and logistics of use are provided for readers.

The 9-item Body Image Life Disengagement Questionnaire (BILD-Q; Atkinson & Diedrichs, 2021) assesses behavioral avoidance of important life activities due to body image and appearance concerns. Encompassing life domains beyond physical and mental health (e.g., participation in education and sport, socializing, seeking healthcare, self-assertion), the BILD-Q contributes to understanding the broader consequences of negative body image on individual development and future contribution to society. The BILD-Q can be administered online or in-person to adolescents and adults and is free to use. Women and men complete the same 28 items. This chapter first discusses the development of the BILD-Q and then provides evidence of its psychometrics. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses have shown the BILD-Q to have a unidimensional factor structure. Its gender invariance has been upheld among early adolescents. Internal consistency reliability, test-retest reliability, convergent validity, and incremental validity support the use of the BILD-Q. This chapter provides the BILD-Q items in their entirety, instructions for administration and scoring, and the item response scale. Links to available translations are included. Logistics of use, such as permissions, copyright, and citation information, are also provided for readers.

The 15-item Body Image Self-Consciousness (BISC) Scale (Wiederman, 2000) is a widely used contemporary measure of the extent individuals are self-conscious of their own bodily appearance during physical intimacy with a partner. The BISC Scale can be administered online or in-person to adolescents and adults with and without partnered sexual experience, and to those with male or female sexual partners. The BISC Scale is free to use in any setting. First, this chapter discusses the development of the BISC Scale and provides evidence of its psychometrics properties. Specifically, the BISC Scale has been found to have a single-factor structure within exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and is invariant across male and female genders. Internal consistency reliability, test-retest reliability, convergent validity, discriminant validity, and incremental validity support the use of the BISC Scale. Next, this chapter provides BISC Scale items in their entirety, instructions for administering the BISC Scale, the item response scale, and the scoring procedure. Logistics of use, including permissions, copyright, and contact information, are provided for readers. A Polish translation of the BISC Scale is provided and a modified version of the BISC Scale for use with men specifically is described (M-BISC; McDonough et al., 2008).

The 23-item Body Compassion Questionnaire (BCQ; Beadle et al., 2021) assesses compassion directed towards one’s own body. The BCQ can be administered online and in-person to adolescents over 16, and adults and is free to use in any setting. This chapter first discusses the development of the BCQ and then provides evidence of its psychometrics. More specifically, the BCQ has been found to have a 3-factor structure within exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Gender invariance was demonstrated in the subscales, however overall score does not vary by gender. Internal consistency reliability, test-retest reliability, convergent validity, discriminant validity, and incremental validity support the use of the BCQ. Next, this chapter provides the BCQ items in their entirety, instructions for administering the BCQ to participants, the item response scale, and the scoring procedure. Logistics of use, such as permissions, copyright, and contact information, are provided for readers.

The Body Image in Pregnancy Scale (BIPS; Watson et al., 2017) provides a comprehensive assessment of dissatisfaction and preoccupation with appearance and physical function, perceived sexual attractiveness, and behavioral consequences of pregnancy-related changes to physical appearance. Where other measures of body image during pregnancy typically have narrower focus, BIPS is intended to cover a wide range of common body image experiences identified in prior qualitative and quantitative studies. BIPS offers flexibility for users; it is freely available to use, either in online or in-person format, and takes approximately 5-10 minutes to complete. The measure has been validated for use in a range of languages, including English, Turkish, and German, and has good factorial structure and reliability. This chapter details this psychometric evidence, as well as providing a full list of BIPS items and instructions for scoring.

The 6-item Hourglass Body Shape Ideal Scale (HBSIS) assesses a woman’s internalization of the hourglass body ideal. This measure can be administered online or in paper-form to women with a sixth grade reading level or above and is free to use in any setting. This chapter first discusses the development of the HBSIS and then provides evidence of its psychometrics. This scale has been found to have a unidimensional factor structure among an undergraduate and a community sample of women through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Internal consistency, reliability, and convergent validity support the use of the HBSIS. This chapter provides the scale items, instructors for administering the scale, the recommended item response scale and scoring procedures. Logistics of use, such as permissions, copyright, and contact information are provided.

As a result of its complexity, integration of multiple functions and brain regions, and prolonged development, decision-making is particularly vulnerable to deficit or dysfunction. Decision-making deficits have been described in schizophrenia, psychopathy, autism and depression. A commonality in proposed explanations is that of differences in the way networks associated with decision-making are structured. In some cases it may be over-connection, in others under-connection.

The 7-item Drive for Muscularity Scale - YT (DMS-YT; Yelland & Tiggemann, 2003) measures the desire and motivation directed toward obtaining muscularity. The DMS-YT can be administered online or in-person to adolescents and adults across genders, including women. It is free to use in any setting. This chapter first discusses the development of the DMS-YT within the literature on gay men’s body image and then provides evidence of its psychometrics. More specifically, the DMS-YT has been found to have a single-factor structure within exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses with both men and women. Internal consistency reliability, test-retest reliability, convergent validity, discriminant validity, and incremental validity support the use of the DMS-YT. Next, this chapter provides the DMS-YT items, instructions for administration, the item response scale, the scoring procedure, and known translations. Logistics of use, such as permissions, copyright, and contact information, are provided for readers.

The 8-item Phenomenological Body Shame Scale - Revised PBSS-R assesses the degree to which an individual experiences shame about the body’s appearance or functioning. The scale is unique from other body shame scales in that it evaluates the phenomenological or embodied dimensions of shame, rather than its cognitive elements. The PBSS-R can be administered online to adults and is free to use in any setting. This chapter first discusses the development of the PBSS-R and then provides evidence of its psychometrics. More specifically, the PBSS-R has been found to have a one-factor structure within confirmatory factor analyses. Internal consistency reliability, concurrent validity, incremental validity, and convergent validity support the use of the PBSS-R. Next, this chapter provides the PBSS-R items in their entirety, instructions for administering the PBSS-R to participants, the item response scale, and the scoring procedure. Logistics of use, such as permissions, copyright, and contact information, are provided for readers

The 19-item Muscle Appearance Satisfaction Scale (MASS; Mayville et al., 2002) assesses the behavioral, cognitive, and affective domains of muscle dysmorphia, which is a variant of body dysmorphic disorder that involves the perceived lack of muscle mass and/or muscle definition. The MASS’s content was designed to capture the characteristics specific to muscle dysmorphia as a form of body dissatisfaction that primarily affects individuals involved in weightlifting. It can be used within research and as a measure of clinical change when treating muscle dysmorphia in applied settings. The MASS can be administered online or in-person to adults and is free to use. This chapter first discusses the development of the MASS and then provides evidence of its psychometrics. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis revealed a 5-factor solution among weightlifters. Internal consistency, test-retest reliability, convergent validity, criterion validity, and discriminant validity support the use of the MASS. This chapter provides the MASS items, instructions for administering the measure to participants, the item response scale, and the scoring procedure. Links to available translations are included. Logistics of use, such as permissions, copyright, and citation information, are also provided for readers.

The Body Image Matrix of Thinness and Muscularity (BIMTM; Arkenau et al., 2020; Steinfeld et al., 2020) is a figure rating scale that assesses perceptual body image. It is available in two separate versions, one for men (BIMTM-Male Bodies) and one for women (BIMTM-Female Bodies). It consists of an 8 x 8 grid with 64 colored and realistic-looking figures of White men or women that vary in body fat along the horizontal axis and muscle mass along the vertical axis. The BIMTM can be administered online or in-person to adults and is free to use. This chapter first discusses the development of the BIMTM and then provides evidence of its psychometrics with men and women. A two-dimensional (body fat and muscularity) is assumed. Test-retest reliability, ecological validity, convergent validity, and criterion validity support the use of both the male and female versions of the BIMTM. This chapter provides the BIMTM in its entirety, as well as its instructions for administration and scoring. Logistics of use, such as permissions, copyright, and citation information, are also provided for readers.

Memory is vital for a range of brain functions, not just decision-making. Memory is a complex concept, that many researchers have attempted to model and explain over the course of history, all with their own properties. It is commonly accepted however that memory must include both retention and retrieval. Human memory can be considered as a complex storage system, in which information can be stored and accessed according to different criteria. Various models have explained memory organisation in terms of duration of retention (fractation), information type and temporal direction. To gain an insight into how memory informs decision-making, we must consider it as a dynamic cognitive function, with three main stages: encoding, storage and retrieval.