Structure of Body-Build Stereotypes: A Methodological Analysis

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Abstract
College students ( N = 182) were Ss in a study assessing the comparability of body build stereotypes as depicted through the use of various response formats. Stereotypes toward Endomorph and Mesomorph body types, respectively, were derived through responses to: (1) a traditional, forced-choice format; (2) a dimensionalized, bipolar item format requiring placement of 10 Endomorphs and 10 Mesomorphs, respectively, along each of 10 nine-point dimensions; (3) a format identical to Number 2 except in the requirement of only one Endomorph or Mesomorph attribution per dimension; and (4) a format requiring the estimation of the percentage of time an Endomorph and a Mesomorph, respectively, manifested the item-characteristic. Results indicated that although mean responses derived from the latter three methods were consistent in direction with corresponding forced-choice, frequency data, the intradimensional separation of most of these means was not markedly disparate; moreover, correlations between forced-choice responses and any and all of the latter methods were markedly low, although correlations among these latter methods were moderate. It was concluded that inferences drawn about the structure of body build stereotypes, based on data derived from forced-choice formats, were not supported by the data provided with the latter three formats. Implications for other stereotype research were discussed.