Development and validation of a questionnaire assessing weighing tendencies: the Approach/Avoidance of Weighing...

Frequent weighing to assess shape and weight is common in eating disorders, as is going to great lengths to avoid knowledge of weight. However, few tools exist to measure these different weighing tendencies. This study reports on the development of a self-report measure of weighing tendencies using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis (EFA; CFA). An EFA using 10 items identified 2 factors and indicated all items should be retained. Two CFAs in two independent samples indicated that a 2-factor, 6-item version fit reasonably well. The factors indicate the tendency to approach weighing and to avoid weighing. Additional evidence of convergent and discriminant validity is presented, covering a number of eating behaviors and relevant behavioral constructs. Findings suggest that individuals characterized by approach weighing tendencies may weight-check to reduce the anxiety and distress of not knowing their weights, and those characterized by avoidance may reduce the anxiety and distress of knowing their weights by avoiding weight-related information. This may have important clinical implications, as the feared stimulus for one group is uncertainty about their weights, whereas for the other, it is awareness of their weights, suggesting different treatment targets. Overall, the AAWQ appears to be a promising tool that may aid in examining weighing tendencies, in turn having the potential to aid in eating disorder cognitive-behavioral clinical case formulation and treatment planning.