The complexities of human decision-making have been utilised in the advertising and marketing industry. One such way is through cognitive bias; a systematic pattern in thought processes often based on error or unconscious judgement. Advertisers often research the general views and beliefs of their target population, and tailor their advertising to confirm these viewpoints. From a biological perspective, it is not clear why humans possess this ability in cognitive bias; some suggest it may be beneficial in social advancement. The existence of cognitive bias may lead us to question if we have free will – whether we have complete conscious control over our actions. It is established that many decisions are unconscious, but we do also have the capacity to stop automatic behaviours, so we may argue this means we do have free will.

The New Somatomorphic Matrix-Male (NSM-M; Talbot et al., 2019) is a pictorial bi-dimensional figure rating scale for men. The scale presents a matrix of 34 computer-rendered frontal-view male bodies, each with a unique graded combination of body fat and muscularity. It is used to assess how men perceive their body (actual body) and identify the body that they would like to have (ideal body). The difference (discrepancy) between a man’s selected actual and ideal bodies can be used as an index of body dissatisfaction. The NSM-M can be administered online or in-person to men and is free to use. This chapter first discusses the development of the NSM-M and then provides evidence of its psychometrics. Test-retest reliability, convergent validity, concurrent validity, and discriminant validity support the use of the NSM-M. The entire matrix is included within the chapter. Logistics of use, such as permissions, copyright, and contact information, are provided for readers.

The notion of making it big has different meanings for different people. Sometimes it is a precise moment in time when everything clicks. Other times, it can be a slow process. And sometimes, a big break that took many years can look like an overnight sensation to the outside world. People in this chapter talk about how the creative life isn’t always about fame and acclaim.

In 2019, the NCD Alliance – the global civil society network dedicated to noncommunicable diseases (NCD) advocacy – developed a project called Our Views, Our Voices. Training on NCD storytelling was organised in several countries, including Ghana, with the aim to “enable individuals living with NCDs to share their views to take action and drive change.” In Chapter 7, I examine the encounter between the NCD Alliance storytelling project and the local patient advocacy movement and discuss the scope and limits of storytelling for ‘taking action and driving change’ for NCD prevention and control in Ghana. I argue that the NCD Alliance project builds on a chequered history of global health storytelling, such as the HIV confessional technology (Nguyen, 2010), where cultural appropriation meets corporate branding. Narrative is central to social life, and stories of lived experiences of illness have reported benefits. However, the culture and politics of storytelling also matter: investing in narrative health at the expense of structural and political solutions to complex health problems can have harmful consequences, particularly for marginalised communities.

The 13-item Body-Focused Shame and Guilt Scale (BF-SGS; Weingarden et al., 2016) assesses proneness to experiencing self-conscious emotions, including body shame and body guilt, in the context of body dysmorphic disorder. The BF-SGS can be administered online or in-person, has been validated for use with adults, and is free to use with appropriate citations in any setting. This chapter first discusses the development of the BF-SGS and then provides evidence of its psychometrics. Specifically, internal consistency reliability and test-retest reliability support the use of the body shame and body guilt subscales; convergent validity and discriminant validity further support the use of the body shame subscale. Additionally, this chapter directs the reader to the appropriate location of the BF-SGS items in their entirety, provides instructions for administering the BF-SGS to participants, and describes the item response scale and scoring procedure. Logistics of use, including copyright and contact information, are provided for readers.

Chapter 1 examines the leading theory of chilling effects – chilling effects as fear of legal harm – a legalistic account most often employed by lawyers and judges in the United States, Canada, and beyond. The author explores its historical and intellectual origins, key actors that have articulated and influenced the theory, and argues this predominant conventional account is too narrow, legalistic, and deeply flawed theoretically and empirically, and cannot explain, predict, or understand chilling effects in a wide variety of contexts. As such, it only contributes to skepticism about chilling effects, rather than dispelling them.

The 10-item Beliefs About Penis Size Scale (BAPS; Veale et al., 2014) measures boys’ and men’s beliefs about masculinity and shame related to their penis size. Penis size is a primary appearance concern of men, and these concerns may result in penile dysmorphic disorder, which is a form of body dysmorphic disorder specifically focused on being preoccupied with and distressed by one’s penis size. The BAPS can be administered online or in-person to adolescents and adults and is free to use. This chapter discusses the development of the BAPS and provides evidence of its psychometrics. Findings suggest that the BAPS is a unidimensional measure. Internal consistency reliability as well as convergent, concurrent, and discriminant validity support the use of the BAPS with boys and men. This chapter provides the BAPS items in their entirety, instructions for administering the BAPS to participants, item response scale, and scoring procedure. Logistics of use, such as permissions, copyright, and contact information, are provided for readers.

Research involvement is good for both patients and clinicians. In healthcare organisations that are research active, not only are mortality outcomes better, but clinicians are happier and retention rates better. In this chapter we consider how early career clinicians can involve themselves in research, for the benefit of your clinical practice and your patients. It is important to foster early exposure to research, which also makes further involvement in research a less intimidating venture. The only warning attached to that is that once you’ve had a taste of research involvement, and seen your first publication in print, you may find it hard to leave it behind! Establishing research skills early in one’s career can have advantages; firstly, it encourages critical thinking on how to approach any patient, their presenting difficulties and the selection of appropriate interventions. Further, being able to appraise the expanding and complex (and often contradictory) evidence base is a vital skill any clinician will utilise throughout their career. Finally, it is, or can be, enormous fun!

The Photographic Figure Rating Scale (PFRS; Swami et al., 2008) is a figural rating scale developed to assess body dissatisfaction (actual-ideal body size discrepancy) and consists of 10 photographic images of real women varying in body mass index from emaciated to “obese”. The PFRS 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 original PFRS, before providing evidence of its psychometric properties. Specifically, scores on the PFRS have been found to have adequate test-retest reliability and good patterns of convergent and criterion-related validity. Next, this chapter provides the PFRS images, as well as full instructions for administration to participants, the suggested questions, and the scoring procedure. Known translations are described and logistics of use are provided for readers.

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.