MBA

The Measure of Body Apperception (MBA) is a measure of the investment in, or dependence on, one's body image as a source of the sense of self-worth.  It has two scales, which reflect reliance on physical appearance, and reliance on a sense of body intactness or integrity.

Carver, C. S., Pozo-Kaderman, C., Price, A. A., Noriega, V., Harris, S. D., Derhagopian, R. P., Robinson, D. S., & Moffatt, F. L., Jr.  (1998).  Concern about aspects of body image and adjustment to early stage breast cancer.  Psychosomatic Medicine, 60, 168-174.

Petronis, V. M., Carver, C. S., Antoni, M. H., & Weiss, S. (2003). Investment in body image and psychosocial well-being among women treated for early stage breast cancer: Partial replication and extension. Psychology and Health, 18, 1-13.

Here is how we administer the MBA here, followed by scoring instructions:

MBA

Please indicate how much you agree or disagree with the following statements by picking the answer that is closest to the way you feel about each statement.  Please be as honest and accurate as you can in responding to the items.  Try not to let your response to one statement influence your responses to other statements.  These are opinion items, so there are no "right" or "wrong" answers.  Answer according to your own feelings, rather than how you think "most people" would answer.  Choose your answers from the following 4 options:

  • 4 = I agree a lot
  • 3 = I agree a little
  • 2 = I DISagree a little
  • 1 = I DISagree a lot
  1. It's important to me to look my best all the time.
  2. When something goes wrong inside your body, you are never really the same person again.
  3. If a woman doesn't look good to others, she can't possibly feel good about herself.
  4. The idea of having surgery bothers me because it means doing damage to my body.
  5. I am very careful about my diet.
  6. I feel good about myself only if I know I look good to other people.
  7. A scar from an operation, even one that doesn't show, is a constant reminder to yourself that something was wrong with you.
  8. I have to look as good as I can to others in order to feel right about myself.
  9. Completely apart from the pain, I'd have trouble giving myself an injection because it would mean forcing a needle into an undamaged part of my body.
  10. I consciously make an effort to avoid eating things I know aren't good for me.
  • Items 1, 3, 6, and 8 constitute the subtotal for investment in appearance
  • Items 2, 4, 7, and 9 constitute the subtotal for investment in body integrity
  • Items 5 and 10 are fillers, not scored.

Top