Psychometric Characteristics of the Czech Version of the Self-Objectification Beliefs and Behaviors Scale (SOBBS)

The Self-Objectification Beliefs and Behaviors Scale (SOBBS) was adapted to the Czech context using multiple independent translations and subsequent cognitive interviews. Data were collected from a non-random online sample of 548 participants, including 72% women and 27% men, aged 18–75 years (M = 25.8, SD = 10.1). The analysis supported the two-factor structure of the scale (i.e., body surveillance and body as self-representation), although the data favored the removal of one item. The SOBBS demonstrated high internal consistency (α = .87, ω = .90 for the total scale; α = .87, ω = .87 for body self-monitoring; and α = .83, ω = .83 for body as a representation of the Self), and correlations with body shame and body self-monitoring scales provided evidence for concurrent validity. Measurement invariance was supported at the level of the parallel model, allowing for gender-based comparisons. The main analysis revealed a statistically significant but small difference in overall self-objectification between women and men (d = 0.22). An exploratory analysis showed a higher body surveillance in women (d = 0.48), with no significant differences in the body as a self-representation dimension. The Czech version of the SOBBS thus represents a valid and reliable instrument for further research on self-objectification in the Czech context. We conclude with suggestions for future research, mainly wording revisions and clarifications for the conceptual placement of body shame within the Objectification Theory (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997).