Body Compassion Questionnaire (BCQ)

doi:10.1017/9781009398275.021

Chapter 20 - Body Compassion Questionnaire (BCQ)

Published online by Cambridge University Press: aN Invalid Date NaN

Emily S. Beadle and

Nicholas A. Troop

Edited by

Virginia Ramseyer Winter ,

Tracy L. Tylka and

Antoinette M. Landor

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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 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.

Keywords

Body Compassion Questionnaire BCQ items Body Compassion Body Kindness Common Humanity Motivated Action scale development psychometric evidence factor structure reliability validity administration scoring

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Type: Chapter
Information: Handbook of Body Image-Related Measures , pp. 61 - 63

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009398275.021 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2025

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References

Altman, J. K., Linfield, K., Salmon, P. G., & Beacham, A. O. (2020). The Body Compassion Scale: Development and initial validation. Journal of Health Psychology, 25(4), 439–449. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105317718924.CrossRef Google Scholar PubMed

Beadle, E. S., Cain, A., Akhtar, S., Lennox, J., McGuire, L., & Troop, N. A. (2021). Development and validation of the Body Compassion Questionnaire. Health Psychology and Behavioral Medicine, 9(1), 951–988. https://doi.org/10.1080/21642850.2021.1993229.CrossRef Google Scholar PubMed

Berry, K.-A., Kowalski, K. C., Ferguson, L. J., & McHugh, T-L. F. (2010). An empirical phenomenology of young adult women exercisers’ body self‐compassion. Qualitative Research in Sport and Exercise, 2(3), 393–312. https://doi.org/10.1080/19398441.2010.517035.CrossRef Google Scholar

Gilbert, P. (2017). Compassion: Concepts, Research and Applications. Routledge.CrossRef Google Scholar

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Pennebaker, J. W., & Beall, S. K. (1986). Confronting a traumatic event: Toward an understanding of inhibition and disease. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 95, 274–281. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-843X.95.3.274.CrossRef Google Scholar PubMed

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