Brief Description
The Appearance Anxiety Inventory (AAI) is a psychometric tool designed to measure the cognitive processes, such as rumination and self-focused attention, and behavioral responses, such as social avoidance and appearance checking, in appearance-related anxiety, which is commonly associated with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). The AAI asks respondents to rate how often during the past week they engage in the behaviors listed (e.g., “I compare aspects of my appearance to others”) on a scale from “Not at all” to “All the time.” The AAI is used in both clinical and research settings to identify individuals experiencing significant distress about their appearance, aiding in the diagnosis and treatment of conditions such as BDD. The inventory is valued for its reliability and validity in capturing the multifaceted nature of appearance anxiety.
Assessment Administration Type
Self-report
Number of questions
10
Age Range for Administration
10+
Recommended Frequency of Administration
Weekly
Summary of Scoring and Interpretations
The AAI consists of 10-items on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 0 (“Not at all”) to 4 (“All the time”). The total score is calculated by summing the responses to all 10 items, and ranges from 0 to 40; higher scores indicate greater levels of appearance-related anxiety. Total scores of 19 or above are considered clinically significant. The AAI also includes two subscales: avoidance and threat monitoring. The subscale scores are calculated by summing the corresponding item responses (see table below).
Subscale | Corresponding Items |
Avoidance | 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10 |
Threat Monitoring | 2, 4, 6, 8 |
Blueprint Adjustments
N/A
Clinical Considerations
Estimated time of completion: 2-3 minutes.
The AAI is meant to enhance clinical decision-making. It should not serve as the sole basis for making a diagnosis.
Optimal cut-off for treatment response on the AAI is reduction of ≥ 40%.
Score ≤13 optimal cut-off for full or partial remission.
Citation
Relevant Articles + Further Resources
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