Validity of the Social Physique Anxiety Scale

Social physique anxiety is a feeling of distress associated with the perceived evaluation of one's physical self. Since its inception, the construct has been associated with a variety of exercise-related constructs including perceived competence, self-consciousness, and the exercise milieu individuals choose. The present purpose was to relate social physique anxiety to participants' attitudes toward exercise, adherence behaviors, participation motivation, personality variables, and emotional attitude toward exercise. 326 university fitness-center participants were surveyed and asked for demographic information, to self-report their exercise habits, and to answer questions measuring the construct, motivation, personality, and attitudes toward exercise. Women had higher scores on the Social Physique Anxiety Scale than men; individuals who scored high were more likely to endorse extrinsic motives for exercise than individuals scoring low on the scale, and high scores were indicative of higher public body awareness. Individuals with high scores on the Social Physique Anxiety Scale exhibited an emotional profile similar to addicted exercisers. Given these results, implications for alleviation of such anxiety were discussed.

Download Full-text

Tie Measurement of Social Physique Anxiety

Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology ◽

10.1123/jsep.11.1.94 ◽

1989 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 94-104 ◽

Cited By ~ 379

Author(s):

Elizabeth A. Hart ◽

Mark R. Leary ◽

W. Jack Rejeski

Keyword(s):

Body Fat ◽

Basic Research ◽

Anxiety Scale ◽

Self Report ◽

Social Physique Anxiety ◽

Validity Data ◽

Retest Reliability ◽

Percentage Of Body Fat ◽

The Social ◽

Test Retest Reliability

A 12-item self-report scale was developed to assess the degree to which people become anxious when others observe or evaluate their physiques. The Social Physique Anxiety Scale (SPAS) demonstrated both high internal and test-retest reliability. It also correlated appropriately with concerns regarding others' evaluations and with feelings about one's body. Validity data showed that women who scored high on the SPAS were heavier and had a higher percentage of body fat than those who scored lower. In addition, high scorers reported significantly greater anxiety during a real evaluation of their physiques, further supporting the validity of the scale. Possible uses of the SPAS in basic research involving physique anxiety and in applied fitness settings are discussed.

Download Full-text

The social physique anxiety scale: multi-sample analysis of factor structure in Czech population

Studia Kinanthropologica ◽

10.32725/sk.2012.068 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 13 (3) ◽

pp. 205-210

Author(s):

I. Harbichová ◽

M. Komarc

Keyword(s):

Factor Structure ◽

Anxiety Scale ◽

Social Physique Anxiety ◽

Sample Analysis ◽

Czech Population ◽

The Social

Download Full-text

Factorial Validity and Invariance Testing of the Swedish Social Physique Anxiety Scale: Arguments for Gender-Specific Scales

Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology ◽

10.1123/jsep.26.3.492 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 26 (3) ◽

pp. 492-499 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

Magnus Lindwall

Keyword(s):

Anxiety Scale ◽

Factorial Validity ◽

Social Physique Anxiety ◽

Invariant Factor ◽

Male And Female ◽

Cultural Variations ◽

Invariance Testing ◽

The Social ◽

Two Samples ◽

Gender Specific

This study examined the factorial validity and factorial invariance across gender of the 9-item and two 7-item previously supported unidimensional factor models of the Social Physique Anxiety Scale (SPAS; Hart, Leary, & Rejeski, 1989) in two samples of Swedish male and female university students. Results demonstrated that the Motl and Conroy (2000) 7-item model made the closest ft to data in both the male and female samples. None of the two 7-item models demonstrated invariant factor variances or item uniqueness across gender. Moreover, the factor loadings were not invariant in the Motl and Conroy models. Gender differences in SPAS factor structure, linked to cultural variations in measurement equivalence and future development of gender specific scales, are discussed.

Download Full-text

The Social Physique Anxiety Scale: Reliability and Construct Validity

Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology ◽

10.1123/jsep.18.4.420 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 18 (4) ◽

pp. 420-425 ◽

Cited By ~ 25

Author(s):

Trent A. Petrie ◽

Nancy Diehl ◽

Rebecca L. Rogers ◽

Courtney L. Johnson

Keyword(s):

Construct Validity ◽

Anxiety Scale ◽

Social Physique Anxiety ◽

Scale Reliability ◽

The Social

Download Full-text

Women's Anxiety about Social and Exercise Settings

Perceptual and Motor Skills ◽

10.2466/pms.2002.94.2.700 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 94 (2) ◽

pp. 700-702 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Vicki R. Walton ◽

Mel E. Finkenberg

Keyword(s):

Anxiety Scale ◽

Social Physique Anxiety ◽

New Members ◽

The Social

This study involved a comparison of social physique anxiety, assessed through the application of a modified version of the Social Physique Anxiety Scale, with 28 women who were new members exercising at all-female facilities compared to 43 new female members exercising at coeducational facilities. Analyses indicated there were no significant differences in means between the groups. The scores of women attending all-female facilities were significantly more influenced by the sex of members when choosing a facility.

Download Full-text