1
|
Monachesi B, Deruti A, Vaes J, Leoni P, Grecucci A. How sexual objectification marks the brain: fMRI evidence of self-objectification and its harmful emotional consequences. Neuroimage 2024; 297:120729. [PMID: 38992451 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Revised: 07/04/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Female Sexual Objectification refers to perceiving and treating women based on their body appearance. This phenomenon may serve as a precursor for dysfunctional behaviors, particularly among females prone to self-objectification and experiencing shame emotions. Understanding this challenging trajectory by disclosing its neural consequences may be crucial for comprehending extreme psychopathological outcomes. However, investigations in this sense are still scarce. The present study explores the neural correlates of female participants' experiences of being objectified and their relationship with self-objectification, emotional responses and individual dispositions in self-esteem, emotion regulation abilities and self-conscious emotion proneness. To this aim, 25 female participants underwent an fMRI experimental session while they were exposed to interpersonal encounters with objectifying or non-objectifying men. Participants' experienced emotions and levels of attention shifted toward their bodies (self-objectification) was reported after each interaction. The results revealed increased brain activity in objectifying contexts, impacting cortical (frontal, occipital and temporal cortex) and subcortical regions (thalamus, and hippocampus) involved in visual, emotion, and social processing. Remarkably, the inferior temporal gyrus emerged as a crucial neural hub associated in opposite ways with self-esteem and the self-conscious emotion of shame, highlighting its role in self-referential processing during social dynamics. This study points out the importance of adopting a neuroscientific perspective for a deeper understanding of sexual objectification, and to shed light on its possible neural consequences.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bianca Monachesi
- Neuroscience and Society Laboratory, Neuroscience Area, SISSA, Via Bonomea, 265, Trieste 34136, Italy; Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Trento, Italy.
| | - Alice Deruti
- Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, Milano, Italy
| | - Jeroen Vaes
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Trento, Italy
| | - Paolo Leoni
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Trento, Italy
| | - Alessandro Grecucci
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Trento, Italy; Centre for Medical Sciences, CISMed, University of Trento, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Pecini C, Ruzzante D, Valtorta RR, Crapolicchio E, Cocco VM, Andrighetto L, Di Bernardo GA. Why Might Women Justify Dating Violence? The Role of Men's Sexual Objectification of Their Romantic Partners Within Heterosexual Relationships. JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE 2023; 38:10664-10685. [PMID: 37227007 DOI: 10.1177/08862605231175515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Men's partner-sexual objectification has been linked to increased self-objectification and diminished well-being in women. Some recent findings have also demonstrated that men's partner-sexual objectification is related to increased violence in the relationship. However, mechanisms driving this association remain unexplored. In the present research, we collected data on women and men involved in heterosexual romantic relationships and investigated the associations between men's partner-sexual objectification, women's self-objectification, and both partners' attitudes toward dating violence. Study 1 (N = 171 heterosexual couples) provided first evidence for the link between men's partner-sexual objectification and their attitudes toward dating violence. Furthermore, men's attitudes toward dating violence mediated the relationship between sexual objectification of their partners and women's attitudes toward dating violence. These results were replicated in Study 2 (N = 235 heterosexual couples). Findings of this study also revealed that, along with men's attitudes toward dating violence, women's self-objectification acted as a mediating mechanism linking experiences of being sexually objectified by the romantic partner and attitudes toward dating violence in women. Implications of our findings for the issue of dating violence are discussed.
Collapse
|
3
|
Monachesi B, Deruti A, Grecucci A, Vaes J. Electrophysiological, emotional and behavioural responses of female targets of sexual objectification. Sci Rep 2023; 13:5777. [PMID: 37031255 PMCID: PMC10082788 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-32379-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Accepted: 03/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Sexual objectification and the interiorized objectifying gaze (self-objectification) are dangerous phenomena for women's psychological wellness. However, their specific effects on women's socio-affective reactions are still poorly understood, and their neural activity has never been explored before. In the present study, we investigated women's emotional and electrophysiological responses during simulated computer-based objectifying social interactions, and we examined consequent punishing behaviours towards the perpetrator using the ultimatum game. Behavioural results (N = 36) showed that during objectifying encounters women generally felt angrier/disgusted and tended to punish the perpetrator in later interactions. However, the more the women self-objectified, the more they felt ashamed (p = 0.011) and tended to punish the perpetrators less (p = 0.008). At a neural level (N = 32), objectifying interactions modulated female participants' neural signal elicited during the processing of the perpetrator, increasing early (N170) and later (EPN, LPP) ERP components. In addition, only the amplitude of the LPP positively correlated with shame (p = 0.006) and the level of self-objectification (p = 0.018). This finding provides first evidence for the specific time-course of sexual objectification, self-objectification and its associated shame response, and proves that emotional and social consequences of sexual objectification in women may depend on their tendency to self-objectify.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bianca Monachesi
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Trento, Italy.
| | - Alice Deruti
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Alessandro Grecucci
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
- Centre for Medical Sciences, CISMed, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| | - Jeroen Vaes
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento, Trento, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Pecini C, Guizzo F, Bonache H, Borges-Castells N, Morera MD, Vaes J. Sexual objectification: advancements and avenues for future research. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2023.101261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
|
5
|
Elaborating humanness: a direct comparison between mindful and mindless entities. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2022.101235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/07/2022]
|
6
|
Teresa A. Direct and Indirect Roles of Men in Determining Women Decision to Use Laser Procedures for Skin Care. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol 2023; 16:617-633. [PMID: 36936751 PMCID: PMC10019343 DOI: 10.2147/ccid.s398685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 03/21/2023]
Abstract
Laser procedures for skin care is becoming increasingly popular and used by the global community and affect many aspects of human life. However, there is very little research on the role of men in women's decision to follow this dermatological procedure. This study aimed to identify the role of men in motivating women to choose laser-based procedure. A systematic literature review research design was applied in this study. A total of 27 papers were obtained by searching PubMed Central for the 2013-2022 editions. The extraction of samples and the motivation of patients or research respondents in choosing laser procedures for cosmetic treatments were conducted to obtain clues about the role of men in making these decisions. Only six studies explicitly reveal the role of men as motivators of women to perform laser-based dermatological procedures. Four of these six studies were conducted in Asia in countries with a high degree of collectivism. The remaining two studies reveal a minor role for men in women's motivation to choose dermatological procedures. Other studies only indirectly implicate the role of men through intrasexual competition, increased self-esteem, and the needs of the world of work. Limitations of the study lies in the non-specificity of the study sample in the female population, laser-based treatments, and the role of men in motivating women. The role of men in motivating women to perform laser-based skin care procedures is stated explicitly in collectivist cultures while only implicitly in individualist cultures. These findings indicate that the strategy of utilizing the added value of men to laser treatment procedures should be directed at the relationship between men and women in real terms in collective cultured countries.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Astrid Teresa
- Medical Faculty, Palangka Raya University, Palangka Raya, Indonesia
- Correspondence: Astrid Teresa, Kampus UPR, Jalan Yos Sudarso, Palangka Raya, Central Kalimantan, 73111, Indonesia, Email
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Angulo-Sherman IN, Saavedra-Hernández A, Urbina-Arias NE, Hernández-Granados Z, Sainz M. Preliminary Evidence of EEG Connectivity Changes during Self-Objectification of Workers. SENSORS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 22:7906. [PMID: 36298257 PMCID: PMC9606942 DOI: 10.3390/s22207906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Revised: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 10/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Economic objectification is a form of dehumanization in which workers are treated as tools for enhancing productivity. It can lead to self-objectification in the workplace, which is when people perceive themselves as instruments for work. This can cause burnout, emotional drain, and a modification of self-perception that involves a loss of human attributes such as emotions and reasoning while focusing on others' perspectives for evaluating the self. Research on workers self-objectification has mainly analyzed the consequences of this process without exploring the brain activity that underlies the individual's experiences of self-objectification. Thus, this project explores the electroencephalographic (EEG) changes that occur in participants during an economic objectifying task that resembled a job in an online store. After the task, a self-objectification questionnaire was applied and its resulting index was used to label the participants as self-objectified or non-self-objectified. The changes over time in EEG event-related synchronization (ERS) and partial directed coherence (PDC) were calculated and compared between the self-objectification groups. The results show that the main differences between the groups in ERS and PDC occurred in the beta and gamma frequencies, but only the PDC results correlated with the self-objectification group. These results provide information for further understanding workers' self-objectification. These EEG changes could indicate that economic self-objectification is associated with changes in vigilance, boredom, and mind-wandering.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Irma N. Angulo-Sherman
- Departamento de Ingeniería Biomédica, Vicerrectoría de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Monterrey, Av. Ignacio Morones Prieto 4500 Pte., San Pedro Garza García 66238, Mexico
| | - Annel Saavedra-Hernández
- Departamento de Ingeniería Biomédica, Vicerrectoría de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Monterrey, Av. Ignacio Morones Prieto 4500 Pte., San Pedro Garza García 66238, Mexico
| | - Natalia E. Urbina-Arias
- Departamento de Ingeniería Biomédica, Vicerrectoría de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Monterrey, Av. Ignacio Morones Prieto 4500 Pte., San Pedro Garza García 66238, Mexico
| | - Zahamara Hernández-Granados
- Departamento de Ingeniería Biomédica, Vicerrectoría de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad de Monterrey, Av. Ignacio Morones Prieto 4500 Pte., San Pedro Garza García 66238, Mexico
| | - Mario Sainz
- Departamento de Psicología Social y de las Organizaciones, Universidad Nacional de Estudios a Distancia, C. de Bravo Murillo 38, 28015 Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Ruzzante D, Vaes J. The timeline of mentalization: Distinguishing a two-phase process from mind detection to mind attribution. Neuropsychologia 2021; 160:107983. [PMID: 34339717 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2021.107983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Mentalization is the ability to perceive other people's mental states. This research aimed to deepen our understanding of the underlying mechanisms while also exploring the timeline of the mentalization process. Two studies were conducted in which participants' electrophysiological activity was measured while elaborating Black and White (Study 1), or Italian (ingroup) and Romanian (outgroup), human and doll-like faces (Study 2). Moreover, in Study 2 the presented faces differed in their Facial Width-to-Height Ratio. Subsequently, an Implicit Mind Attribution Test (IMAT) measured the strength of the association of the same ingroup and outgroup human stimuli with mind and body-related words. Two different phases in the time course of the mentalization process emerged. An early ERP component (N170) indicated a first difference between doll-like, mindless and human, mindful targets, while a later ERP component (P300) represented the second stage of mentalization. In this stage, outgroup doll-like faces were elaborated more similarly to the outgroup human faces compared to the same stimuli of the ingroup. Moreover, only a positive correlation between the P300 and the IMAT emerged indicating that the differences in this later ERP component were related with an implicit behavioral measure of mind attribution. These results stipulate the timeline of the mentalization process that is defined by an initial moment of mind detection, in which mindful and mindless stimuli are differentiated for the first time, and a second phase of mind attribution, where the interplay of perceptual and contextual information determine the extraction of a mind from a face.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Ruzzante
- University of Trento, Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, Corso Angelo Bettini 81, 38068, Rovereto, Trento, Italy.
| | - Jeroen Vaes
- University of Trento, Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, Corso Angelo Bettini 81, 38068, Rovereto, Trento, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Daniels EA, Linder JR. Sex Object vs. Athlete: Boys’ and Men’s Responses Toward Sexualized Male Athletes. SEX ROLES 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s11199-021-01228-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
|
10
|
The Sexual OBjectification and EMotion database: A free stimulus set and norming data of sexually objectified and non-objectified female targets expressing multiple emotions. Behav Res Methods 2021; 54:541-555. [PMID: 34291433 PMCID: PMC9046321 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-021-01640-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Sexual objectification - perceiving or treating a woman as a sexual object - is a widespread phenomenon. Studies on sexual objectification and its consequences have grown dramatically over the last decades covering multiple and diverse areas of research. However, research studying sexual objectification might have limited internal and external validity due to the lack of a controlled and standardized picture database. Moreover, there is a need to extend this research to other fields including the study of emotions. Therefore, in this paper we introduce the SOBEM Database, a free tool consisting of 280 high-resolution pictures depicting objectified and non-objectified female models expressing a neutral face and three different emotions (happiness, anger, and sadness) with different intensity. We report the validation of this dataset by analyzing results of 134 participants judging pictures on the six basic emotions and on a range of social judgments related to sexual objectification. Results showed how the SOBEM can constitute an appropriate instrument to study both sexual objectification per se and its relation with emotions. This database could therefore become an important instrument able to improve the experimental control in future studies on sexual objectification and to create new links with different fields of research.
Collapse
|
11
|
Kellie DJ, Blake KR, Brooks RC. Behind the makeup: The effects of cosmetics on women's self‐objectification, and their objectification by others. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ejsp.2767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Dax J. Kellie
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre University of New South Wales Sydney 2052 Australia
| | - Khandis R. Blake
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre University of New South Wales Sydney 2052 Australia
- Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences University of Melbourne Melbourne 3011 Australia
| | - Robert C. Brooks
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre University of New South Wales Sydney 2052 Australia
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Simon JC, Gutsell JN. Recognizing humanity: dehumanization predicts neural mirroring and empathic accuracy in face-to-face interactions. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2021; 16:463-473. [PMID: 33515023 PMCID: PMC8094996 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsab014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2020] [Revised: 01/05/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Dehumanization is the failure to recognize the cognitive and emotional complexities of the people around us. While its presence has been well documented in horrific acts of violence, it is also theorized to play a role in everyday life. We measured its presence and effects in face-to-face dyadic interactions between strangers and found that not only was there variance in the extent to which they perceived one another as human, but this variance predicted neural processing and behavior. Specifically, participants showed stronger neural mirroring, indexed by electroencephalography (EEG) mu-suppression, in response to partners they evaluated as more human, suggesting their brains neurally simulated those targets' actions more. Participants were also marginally more empathically accurate about the emotions of partners deemed more human and performed better with them on a cooperative task. These results suggest that there are indeed differences in our recognition of the humanity of people we meet-demonstrated for the first time in a real, face-to-face interaction-and that this mundane variation affects our ability to neurally simulate, cooperate and empathize.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy C Simon
- Department of Psychology, Williams College, Williamstown, MA 01267, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
13
|
Vaes J, Paladino MP, Haslam N. Seven Clarifications on the Psychology of Dehumanization. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2020; 16:28-32. [PMID: 33216686 DOI: 10.1177/1745691620953767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jeroen Vaes
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Science, University of Trento
| | | | - Nick Haslam
- School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Abstract
AbstractMedia that sexually objectify women by portraying them in ways that emphasize physical beauty and sexual readiness as well as reduce them to decorative and sexual objects have been traditionally identified by scholars as a powerful cultural risk factor encouraging sexual harassment and sexual violence. In the present article we review the existing empirical evidence linking sexually objectifying media and sexual harassment of women to the overarching and integrative Media-Induced Sexual Harassment framework. This framework offers a coherent scheme for explaining the effects of sexually objectifying media on three target groups directly involved in sexual harassment—perpetrators, victims, and bystanders—and it postulates three cognitive and emotional mechanisms through which sexually objectifying media lead to sexual harassment: dehumanization, disruption of emphatic resonance, and a shift in gender norms. The evidence reviewed on the basis of the Media-Induced Sexual Harassment framework shows that sexually objectifying media converge in normalizing harassing behaviors and can be a causal risk factor for increasing engagement in sexual harassment, heightening victims’ acceptance of sexual harassment and discouraging bystander intervention. We discuss implications of these arguments for effectively preventing negative effects of exposure to sexually objectifying media and for education programs aimed at critical media-consumption.
Collapse
|
15
|
Cogoni C, Carnaghi A, Silani G. Reduced shared emotional representations toward women revealing more skin. Cogn Emot 2020; 35:225-240. [PMID: 32998646 DOI: 10.1080/02699931.2020.1826409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Extensive experimental research has been conducted to investigate how individuals empathise with others depending on contextual and motivational factors. However, the effect of sexual objectification (i.e. focus on the individual's physical appearance over his/her mental state) on empathy is scarce at best thus far. The aim of this work is to shed light on whether objectification modulates empathic responses toward humans and human-like objects. In Experiment 1, participants either underwent visuo-tactile stimulation or witnessed another person (a mannequin, a sexualized or a non-sexualized female confederate) being stimulated with pleasant or unpleasant objects. Participants were then asked to report either their own or the other's emotional experience. Results showed that shared representations (i.e. similarity between self-other emotional ratings) are significantly lower for the mannequin, intermediate for the sexualized woman, and reach the highest values for the non-sexualized woman. In Experiment 2, shared representations were assessed during a ball-tossing game in which the participants or one of the two confederates (sexualized or non-sexualized woman) were excluded from the game. Again, results showed reduced similarity between self-other emotional ratings toward sexualized as compared to non-sexualized women. The findings suggest that interacting with sexually objectified women reduces empathic responses typically observed within human relations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carlotta Cogoni
- Faculty of Sciences, Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.,Neuroscience Sector, Scuola Internazionale Superiore di Studi Avanzati, Trieste, Italy
| | - Andrea Carnaghi
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, Università degli Studi di Trieste, Trieste, Italy
| | - Giorgia Silani
- Department of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Vienna, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Bernard P, Cogoni C, Carnaghi A. The Sexualization–Objectification Link: Sexualization Affects the Way People See and Feel Toward Others. CURRENT DIRECTIONS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2020. [DOI: 10.1177/0963721419898187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Recent research has examined the sexualization–objectification link (i.e., whether sexualized individuals are appraised as if they were objects rather than persons). This research has found that sexualized individuals are more likely to be processed and categorized as if they were objects and are also perceived as possessing fewer humanlike traits than nonsexualized individuals. In addition, sexualization prompts negative behaviors such as social exclusion. Altogether, these findings shed light on mechanisms that might underlie violence toward sexualized individuals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Philippe Bernard
- Center for Social and Cultural Psychology, Université Libre de Bruxelles
| | - Carlotta Cogoni
- Institute of Biophysics and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon
| | - Andrea Carnaghi
- Dipartimento di Scienze Della Vita, Università Degli Studi di Trieste
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
An Initial Test of the Cosmetics Dehumanization Hypothesis: Heavy Makeup Diminishes Attributions of Humanness-Related Traits to Women. SEX ROLES 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s11199-019-01115-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
|
18
|
Vaes J, Cogoni C, Calcagnì A. Resolving the Human–Object Divide in Sexual Objectification: How We Settle the Categorization Conflict When Categorizing Objectified and Nonobjectified Human Targets. SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGICAL AND PERSONALITY SCIENCE 2019. [DOI: 10.1177/1948550619875142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Using a mouse-tracking technique, we measured the strength and the temporal unfolding of the conflict when people categorize objectified and nonobjectified human stimuli in the human or object category. We recorded participants’ hand movements when they categorized male and female, objectified and nonobjectified, human, and doll-like stimuli in the person and object categories. As expected, objectified women created a stronger categorization conflict compared to all other human stimuli. The nature of the mouse trajectories indicated that this response competition was caused by the distractor (object category) rather than the target (person category) and showed to be smooth rather than abrupt suggesting dynamic competition between the object–human categories rather than the sequential unfolding of a dual process. These findings demonstrate that the human–object divide fades when women (but not men) are objectified. The implications of the current findings for theorizing on processes of sexual objectification are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jeroen Vaes
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Carlotta Cogoni
- Department of Psychology and Cognitive Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Antonio Calcagnì
- Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, University of Padova, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Kellie DJ, Blake KR, Brooks RC. What drives female objectification? An investigation of appearance-based interpersonal perceptions and the objectification of women. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0221388. [PMID: 31442260 PMCID: PMC6707629 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0221388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2018] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous research finds that both men and women perceive sexualized women as lacking in certain human qualities such as mental capacity and moral status. The mechanism underlying this effect, however, is unclear. The present two studies test how appearance-based judgements affect the degree to which a broad sample of women are objectified. In Study 1 (N = 279), full-body images of women wearing different clothing outfits were rated by male and female participants on perceived attractiveness, sexual intent and age. In Study 2, male and female participants (N = 1,695) viewed these same images from Study 1 and rated them on two dimensions of objectification (agency and patiency). We analyzed associations between these dimensions of objectification and the averaged appearance-based perceptions from Study 1. We find that women perceived as more open to casual sex are attributed less mental capacity and less moral status. We also find that participants tend to associate attractiveness with greater mental and moral status in women, but we find only limited evidence that perceived age influences objectification. Our findings suggest that although positive attractiveness biases may mitigate the amount a woman is objectified, greater female objectification may be prompted by observers' negative stereotypes of promiscuous women.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dax J. Kellie
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Science, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Khandis R. Blake
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Science, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Robert C. Brooks
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Science, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| |
Collapse
|