Broad conceptualizations of beauty: Scale validation and longitudinal associations with appearance comparison, body appreciation, and body image concerns in women from Germany

Abstract

A broad conceptualization of beauty—defined as perceiving diverse physical appearances, body sizes/shapes, and inner characteristics of others as beautiful—represents a key facet of positive body image and is commonly assessed using the Broad Conceptualization of Beauty Scale (BCBS). The present work aimed to evaluate the factorial structure and internal consistency of the German version of the BCBS, as well as to examine its prospective, bidirectional relationships with appearance comparison, body appreciation, and weight/shape concerns. Data were analyzed from a large community sample of 1436 women with a mean age of 26.82 years (SD = 8.66). Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) revealed two factors, referring to external (BCBS-E) and internal (BCBS-I) beauty qualities. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM) confirmed this two-factor structure, and Bifactor-ESEM modeling revealed a general factor. This bifactor-model also showed longitudinal invariance over six months, supporting its cross-validity. Both the general factor and subscales scores demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency. Prospective hierarchical regression analyses indicated a bidirectional relationship between appearance comparison and BCBS scores (general and subscale). Additionally, higher BCBS-E scores predicted greater decreases in weight/shape concerns over time, and greater body appreciation uniquely predicted greater increases in BCBS scores (general and subscale), even after accounting for the effects of appearance comparison and weight/shape concerns. Findings contribute to the limited research on women's ability to broadly conceptualize beauty in the German context and provide novel insights into its prospective relationships.