Using psychology to explore and reduce the sexual objectification of women

Using psychology to explore and reduce the sexual objectification of women

Helena Davies

Objectification is the identification and perception of a person as a thing, without intrinsic value but instead having a worth that is directly related to the needs of others. Sexual objectification then, occurs when the needs of others constitute sexual gratification and desire. For years, women have been the main target of such sexual objectification, and this is particularly evident in the media representation of the female form. With the rise of social media and children being exposed to content online at an increasingly young age, these issues may never have been as important as they are right now.

Using Psychology, we can examine the ways in which women’s bodies are objectified. One of the ways we can do this is by looking at how men’s and women’s bodies may be perceived differently. Some things are recognised by their constituent parts and others are recognised as a whole. People, their bodies and their faces are recognised as a whole - this is why we struggle to identify a face (even a friend’s) if it is presented upside down – this is called the ‘inversion effect’. Interestingly,when shown sexualised images of men upside down, it is harder to recognise them - we see them as a whole. However, for sexualised images of women, no such effect occurs. This suggests that sexualised images of women are processed as a collectionof parts rather than a unified whole.

‘we must develop judgments of value independent of women’s physical appearance’

This is a pervasive finding: it is easier to recognise sexual body parts of a woman when they are displayed in isolation compared to when they are displayed in the context of the whole body. In the minds of both male and female perceivers, women’s bodies are reduced to their sexual body parts in a way that simply does not happen when observing the bodies of men.

The consequences of such sexual objectification of women are widespread, including increased concern over body image, and judgements of women as being less competent. In addition, experimental studies have found that individuals were more willing to give hypothetical pain-inducing medication to sexualised male and female targets than to non-sexualised targets. Perhaps most alarmingly, the sexual objectification of women has even been linked to the decreased blame of rapists.

Given these hugely damaging consequences, as well as the pervasiveness of sexualised images, it is essential to identify methods of reducing sexual objectification. This is not to justify or excuse those who engage in such behaviour, but may provide an antidote to an increasingly potent issue.

Marita Kimo

‘images of women are processed as a collection of parts’

A widely studied method to reduce sexual objectification is the provision of ‘humanising’ information.For example, depicting women with clear indicators of competence (i.e. awards or trophies) has been found to make people less likely to focus on their sexual body parts. Similarly, an emphasis on women’s warmth and competence has been found to counteract the propensity to recognise women using the same mechanisms that are used in object recognition. All of this suggests that we must direct attention to the capabilities of women and develop judgments of value independent of women’s physical appearance.

This provides solid evidence for the elimination of sexualised images of women in the media and a greater focus on the promotion of more human views of women. In more general terms, we must emphasise and celebrate the non-physical attributes of women and continue the upward trend of women’s status and power in society.

Equality within society is clearly for the benefit of all genders. The promotion of this equality can only benefit from taking note of these findings in psychology. 2018 was a significant year for women’s equality, marking the 100th anniversary of women receiving the right to vote, the laying bare of the gender pay gap within large organisations, and the wide recognition of movements against sexual violence such as #MeToo. Equality remains a difficult struggle, but Psychology may play a small part in helping us to understand and begin to rectify the issues surrounding the sexual objectification of women.