Body Shape-Status Inference

What it measures

A four-item scale measuring the degree to which an individual believes that body shape (height-weight ratio) is a reliable and effective signal of socioeconomic status. Items assess beliefs about the status advantages of tall and thin physiques, the perceived link between upper-class membership and body morphology, and the legitimacy of inferring social class from body shape. Developed in research on how shape-based status cues transfer to package and product evaluations.

Response format

7-point Likert

Scale items

• Compared to short and heavy people, tall and thin people usually possess a higher socioeconomic status.
• It comes as no surprise that compared to people from the lower classes, people from the upper classes are usually taller and thinner.
• It is effective to infer the socioeconomic status of others based on their body shape.
• Tall and thin people are more likely to be members of the upper classes than short and heavy ones.

Full scale items shown. Always cite the original source when using this scale in research.

Usage notes & scoring

Two reliability estimates: α = .88 (Study 2a, n = 450 Chinese online panel) and α = .94 (Study 2b) — Chen, Pang, Koo & Patrick (2020). VALIDITY: Not reported. Original survey conducted in Chinese (Study 2a) and English (Study 2b). CONTEXT WARNING: Items express stereotypical beliefs about body shape and socioeconomic status. Scale measures individual differences in endorsement of these beliefs as a moderating variable in packaging research; it does not endorse these beliefs as accurate. Researchers should use appropriate framing and ethical review considerations when administering.

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Citation

Chen, Juan, Jun Pang, Minkyung Koo, and Vanessa M. Patrick (2020). Shape matters: Package shape informs brand status categorization and brand choice. Journal of Retailing, 96(2), 266–281.

Keywords