Physical Appearance State and Trait Anxiety Scale

Abstract

The Physical Appearance State and Trait Anxiety Scale (PASTAS) is a specialized psychological scale designed to measure the degree of anxiety related specifically to one’s physical appearance. It is unique in that it offers both a State Version, assessing current feelings of anxiety and tension, and a Trait Version, measuring general, stable tendencies toward appearance-related worry. Developed by Reed and colleagues in 1991, the instrument focuses on specific, measurable concerns regarding various body parts and attributes, making it a crucial tool in the study of body image disturbances and appearance-based disorders.

Keywords

PASTAS, Physical Appearance, State anxiety, Trait anxiety, Body image, Body dissatisfaction, Psychometrics, Body dysmorphia, Anxiety disorders.

Authors

Reed, David L., Thompson, J. Kevin, Brannick, Michael T., Sacco, William P.

[quads id=5]

Purpose

The primary purpose of the PASTAS is to provide a reliable and valid measure that distinguishes between transient (state) and enduring (trait) feelings of anxiety specifically elicited by concerns over physical appearance. It fills a critical gap by operationalizing appearance anxiety, allowing researchers to differentiate between momentary distress (e.g., before a social event) and a stable, personality-based tendency toward worry about one’s looks.

This distinction is vital for clinical assessment and research into conditions such as body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) and eating disorders, where appearance-related anxiety is a central component. By providing two distinct scores, the scale assists in tailoring interventions to address either situational triggers or underlying personality vulnerabilities associated with body image.

Construct

The PASTAS measures the psychological construct of Appearance Anxiety, which is the emotional distress, tension, and worry experienced regarding one’s perceived physical flaws or overall attractiveness. This construct is bifurcated into two dimensions:

• State Appearance Anxiety: Refers to the current, temporary emotional state of apprehension, nervousness, and physiological arousal experienced in response to a specific situation or moment concerning one’s appearance (e.g., “Right now, I feel anxious…”).
• Trait Appearance Anxiety: Represents the stable, individual differences in the tendency to respond to situations involving physical evaluation with feelings of tension and worry. It reflects a generalized disposition to experience appearance-related anxiety across various contexts over time.

The scale items cover a broad range of body parts, suggesting a focus on generalized body image dissatisfaction rather than just weight or shape concerns, capturing both aesthetic and structural anxieties related to the physical appearance.

Validity

The validation study by Reed, Thompson, and colleagues (1991) established strong evidence for the validity of the PASTAS. Construct validity was supported by the scale’s ability to differentiate between groups known to vary in levels of appearance concern, such as individuals with high levels of body dissatisfaction compared to control groups.

Furthermore, convergent validity was demonstrated through significant positive correlations with established measures of general anxiety, body dissatisfaction (such as the Body Dissatisfaction subscale of the Eating Disorder Inventory), and self-esteem measures (showing expected negative correlations). The scale was shown to specifically tap into appearance-related distress, distinguishing it effectively from general trait anxiety scales, thereby establishing its utility as a domain-specific measure.

Reliability

The reliability of the PASTAS has been consistently reported as strong, particularly regarding internal consistency. The initial validation study reported high Cronbach’s alpha coefficients for both the State and Trait versions, typically exceeding 0.90, indicating excellent homogeneity among the items within each subscale. This high internal consistency suggests that the 16 items reliably measure the same underlying construct of appearance anxiety.

Test-retest reliability for the Trait version is expected to be high, reflecting the stable nature of the construct it measures over time. Conversely, the State version is designed to be sensitive to situational changes; therefore, its test-retest reliability is appropriately lower over long intervals but higher over very short periods, demonstrating its ability to capture momentary fluctuations in anxiety.

Factor Analysis

The development of the PASTAS utilized factor analytic techniques, establishing the structural integrity of the instrument. The primary structure confirms the intended two-factor model, clearly separating the State anxiety components from the Trait anxiety components. This separation is crucial for ensuring that the two versions are measuring distinct temporal aspects of appearance-based worry.

Further exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses performed on the item content (which includes items related to generalized body shape, weight, and specific facial/extremity features) often suggest potential sub-factors within the appearance domain, though the scale is generally scored as a single, unified dimension of appearance anxiety within its respective state or trait form.

Instrument

Test Type: Psychological scale; Self-report questionnaire.

Format: 16 items, administered in two distinct versions (State and Trait). The Trait version uses a 5-point frequency scale (Never=1 to Always=5). The State version uses a 5-point intensity scale (Not at All=0 to Exceptionally So=4).

Language Available: English (Original).

Population Group: General population; Clinical populations (e.g., those with eating disorders or Body Dysmorphic Disorder).

Age Group: Adolescents and Adults.

Population Details: Primarily validated using college student samples and clinical cohorts in initial studies focusing on body dissatisfaction and body image disturbances.

Test Methodology: Respondents rate their level of anxiety, tension, or nervousness concerning 16 specific aspects of their physical appearance. The scoring methodology ensures that higher scores reflect greater levels of appearance-related anxiety.

Keywords

Body dissatisfaction, Appearance evaluation, Body image research, Psychometric instrument, Self-report, J. Kevin Thompson, Anxiety measurement.

[quads id=5]

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A

Affiliation Email addresses: [email protected], [email protected] (J. Kevin Thompson)

Correspondence Address: J. Kevin Thompson, Ph.D., Department of Psychology, University of South Florida, 4202 Fowler Ave, Tampa, FL 33620-8200.

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The scale was developed and published in 1991. For permission to use the measure, researchers should contact the primary author, J. Kevin Thompson, Ph.D., via the provided correspondence details. The scale is often utilized freely for non-commercial academic research, though specific licensing terms should be confirmed directly with the copyright holder.

The instrument is also available online via the author’s affiliated university websites: http://jkthompson.myweb.usf.edu/PASTAS.htm and http://shell.cas.usf.edu/birw/m_n/scale/PASTAS.htm.

Reference’s

Reed, David L., Thompson, J. Kevin, Brannick, Michael T., & Sacco, William P. (1991). Development and validation of the Physical Appearance State and Trait Anxiety Scale (PASTAS). Journal of Anxiety Disorders, Vol 5(4), 323-332.

[quads id=5]

Items of the PHYSICAL APPEARANCE STATE AND TRAIT ANXIETY SCALE

[PASTAS) — State Version & Trait Version

Right now, I feel anxious, tense, or nervous about:

1. The extent to which I look overweight.
2. My thighs.
3. My buttocks.
4. My hips.
5. My stomach (abdomen).
6. My legs.
7. My waist.
8. My muscle tone.
9. My ears.
10. My lips.
11. My wrists.
12. My hands.
13. My forehead.
14. My neck.
15. My chin.
16. My feet.

Never=1, Seldom=2, Sometimes=3, Often=4, Always=5

Not at All=0, Slightly=1, Moderately=2, Very Much So=3, Exceptionally So=4