Investigating the Role of Self-Objectification in the Relationship between Media Exposure and Sexual Self-Perceptions.

Objectification theory (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997) postulates that the media's emphasis on bodies socializes people, especially women, to be concerned with how they appear to others. This tendency to self-objectify, in turn, predicts negative mental health outcomes, including sexual dysfunction. This paper tests the predictions that (a) exposure to sexually objectifying media predicts self-objectification, (b) self-objectification mediates the relationship between exposure to sexually objectifying media and sexual self-perceptions, and (c) these relationships are stronger for women than men. A cross-sectional survey of 356 undergraduates at a large, midwestern university was conducted. Exposure to sexually objectifying magazines, but not television, predicted self-objectification. Also, self-objectification mediated the relationship between exposure to sexually objectifying magazines and self-consciousness during physical intimacy and sexual interest. Surprisingly, there was no evidence that the results differed for men and women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]