That swimsuit becomes you – An experiment on the effects of objectification

That Swimsuit Becomes You – Is an interesting  body image experiment designed to test Objectification theory (B. L. Fredrickson & T. 

Objectification Theory (part of it at least) posits that culture has socialised women (men too, but more so with women) to base their self-esteem on how slim/attractive they believe they are (hence judging themselves by the way they think others perceive them) – It’s theorised that this has two effects – firstly, it leads to restrained eating habits, and secondly, it leads to reduced educational performance as resources (mental and emotional) need to be consumed to maintain one’s body image….

In the above research, Two experiments manipulated self-objectification by having participants try on a swimsuit or a sweater. – The idea being that when you’re in a swimsuit, you’re more likely to feel ‘objectified’

Of 42 women and 40 men in the experiment and found that these effects on body shame and restrained eating replicated for women only. Additionally, self-objectification diminished math performance for women only

I’ve included it here as I’m sick of hearing – always from females – that these days men are just as ‘objectified’ as women – this experiment where ‘objectification’ is tightly controlled and men and women’s responses to it compared suggests this is not the case… Although the experiment is 15 years old so things may have changed, but until someone pushes something that suggests otherwise under my nose – I’ll stick with this as proof of the fact that women are still more objectified and effected negatively by it.

 

 

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