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.

Chapter 7 explains what chilling effects theory – based on the new theory advanced in this book – is “for,” that is, what aims or purposes the theory can be used to achieve. The author illustrates these useful functions and applications, including demonstrating how chilling effects are weaponized against disfavored groups or to support systems of power and control; correcting flawed popular assumptions about chilling effects; and improving our understanding of both law and privacy.

Artists can have a wide variety of relationships with their parents. We have already discussed supportive relationships. Sometimes, artists have parents who are simply uninterested. Other times, they have parents who are worried about their child’s ability to support themselves if they pursue the arts. In these cases, most parents could be won over by their child’s hard work and passion; if not, a taste of success was usually enough to win over a hesitant parent.

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.

This chapter explores the historical, legal, and regulatory landscape of employment testing bias and fairness in Canada. Canada’s history of colonization and immigration has resulted in a multicultural society. In 1984, the landmark Abella Report, and the subsequent Employment Equity Act, established key protections for historically disadvantaged groups, shaping modern employment practices. The chapter discusses the jurisdictional complexities of employment law, detailing federal and provincial regulations that prohibit discrimination based on race, sex/gender, disability, and other characteristics. Legal frameworks (e.g., the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Canadian Human Rights Act, and the Employment Equity Act) define bias and fairness in employment testing. Key court case decisions illustrate legal principles guiding test validity and adverse impact. We also examine professional guidelines, burden of proof requirements, regulatory oversight, and emerging challenges such as AI-driven assessments and balancing validity with diversity. The legal landscape continues to evolve, with growing emphasis on fairness, transparency, and inclusion.

The Ghanaian employment space prioritizes procedural fairness, the basis on which the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651) and the National Labour Commission were established. Other regulations govern certification and employment testing to uphold professional standards and worker rights. For instance, the Ghana Psychology Council regulates the certification and practice of psychologists who are also mindful of other guidelines such as the American Psychological Association (APA) Standards and Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP) Principles. The 1992 Constitution and the Labour Act, 2003 (Act 651) of Ghana further guarantee equality, prohibit employment discrimination based on race, sex, disability, religion, and age, with specific protection for children, the disabled, and women. For instance, women in Ghana are under-represented in the workplace, in response to which the Affirmative Action Law (Act 2024) was passed, aimed at improving equality and participation of women in decision making positions. With the increasing use of artificial intelligence in employment testing worldwide, Ghana has yet to establish formal regulations for the utilization of artificial intelligence in employee selection to ensure ethical standards and data protection.

Chapter 10 predicts the “future” of chilling effects – which today looks darker and more dystopian than ever in light of the proliferation of new forms of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and automation technologies in society. The author here introduces a new term “superveillance” to explain new forms of AI-driven systems of automated legal and social norm enforcement that will likely cause mass societal chilling effects at an unprecedented scale. The author also argues how chilling effects today enable this more oppressive future and proposes a comprehensive law and public policy reforms and solutions to stop it.

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.

Many young artists try their hand at a variety of creative forms. Even those who know their passion early on may still dabble a bit in related domains, often fueled by the need to explore different artforms and endless curiosity. Many artists might use insights or skills learned in one domain throughout their career, even if they ultimately do not keep creating in that area. Some artists whose stories are told in this chapter kept shifting areas into college and young adulthood. Most stayed within the arts, but some found their way to the arts from other areas from sports to science. Other times, artists will work across multiple domains for their whole career.