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Chapter 37 - Body Image Ideals Questionnaire (BIQ)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 November 2025

By
Thomas F. Cash  and
Tracy L. Tylka
Edited by
Virginia Ramseyer Winter ,
Tracy L. Tylka  and
Antoinette M. Landor
Virginia Ramseyer Winter
Affiliation:
University of Minnesota
Tracy L. Tylka
Affiliation:
Ohio State University
Antoinette M. Landor
Affiliation:
University of Missouri
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Summary

The 11-item Body Image Ideals Questionnaire (BIQ; Cash & Szymanski, 1995) approaches the assessment of evaluative body image by considering both appearance evaluation and importance within its structure. Each item has two parts: first respondents evaluate an aspect of their body (appearance, functionality) and then rate how important that specific aspect is to them. The BIQ can be administered online or in-person to adolescents or adults; it is free to use. This chapter first discusses the development of the BIQ and then provides evidence of its psychometrics. More specifically, the BIQ has been found to have a 2-factor structure: Discrepancy (from body ideal) and Importance (of ideal to body image). Internal consistency reliability and convergent validity support the use of the BIQ, and the BIQ is responsive to therapeutic intervention. Next, this chapter provides all items and the response scales for both Discrepancy and Importance, instructions for administering the BIQ to participants, and scoring procedures. Logistics of use, such as how to obtain the scale, permissions, copyright, and contact information are provided for readers.

Keywords

Body Image Ideals QuestionnaireBIQbody image evaluationappearance evaluationappearance investmentscale developmentpsychometric evidencefactor structurereliabilityvalidityadministrationscoring

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Type
Chapter
Information
Handbook of Body Image-Related Measures , pp. 115 - 117
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2025

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References

Cash, T. F. (1994). Body-image attitudes: Evaluation, investment, and affect. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 78, 1168–1170. https://doi.org/10.2466/pms.1994.78.3c.1168.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cash, T. F. (2000a). Manual for the Body-Image Ideals Questionnaire. Available through Tracy Tylka at .Google Scholar
Cash, T. F. (2000b). Manual for the Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire. Available through Tracy Tylka at .Google Scholar
Cash, T. F., & Szymanski, M. L. (1995). The development and validation of the Body-Image Ideals Questionnaire. Journal of Personality Assessment, 64, 466–477. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327752jpa6403_6.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Higgins, E. T. (1987). Self-discrepancy: A theory relating self and affect. Psychological Review, 94(3), 319–340. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.94.3.319.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lavallee, D. M., & Cash, T. F. (1997, November). The comparative efficacy of two cognitive-behavioral self-help programs for a negative body image. Poster presented at the convention of the Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy, Miami Beach.Google Scholar
Szymanski, M. L., & Cash, T. F. (1995). Body-image disturbances and self-discrepancy theory: Expansion of the Body-Image Ideals Questionnaire. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 14, 134–146. https://doi.org/10.1521/jscp.1995.14.2.134.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Swami, V., & Barron, D. (2019). Translation and validation of body image instruments: Challenges, good practice guidelines, and reporting recommendations for test adaptation. Body Image, 31, 204–220. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2018.08.014.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Swami, V., Todd, J., & Barron, D. (2021). Translation and validation of body image instruments: An addendum to Swami and Barron (2019) in the form of frequently asked questions. Body Image, 37, 214–224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2021.03.002.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed

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