Sexual Self-Esteem in American and British College Women: Relations with Self-Objectification and Eating Problems

Calogero, Rachel M.; Thompson, J. Kevin

doi:10.1007/s11199-008-9517-0

Cited by 74 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 80 publications

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“…Data from the US, Australia, and Britain support many of the theoretical propositions outlined in Objectification theory. Researchers have found that adolescent girls and young women who report higher levels of body surveillance also report greater general shame, body shame, appearance anxiety, body dissatisfaction, depressive symptoms, and disordered eating patterns as well as decreased body esteem, peak motivational states, and sexual functioning (Calogero 2004;Calogero and Thompson 2009;Fredrickson et al 1998;Quinn et al 2006;Steer and Tiggemann 2008;McKinley 1998;Moradi et al 2005;Tiggemann and Kuring 2004;Tiggemann and Slater 2001;Tylka 2004). It is also noteworthy that in a sample of American participants experimentally induced to focus on their bodies, women and not men, continued to have body-related thoughts after the study was presumably over (Quinn et al 2006).…”

Section: Objectification Theory and Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thus, although the intent in endorsing strategies like self-weighing is to promote health, an unanticipated and potentially negative consequence that may result is a harmful preoccupation with the physical self (i.e., increased body surveillance). As we previously outlined, this increased attention to the body may be problematic, as research has documented a number of negative psychological costs to appearance-focused body monitoring among women, including body psychopathology (e.g., Calogero and Thompson 2009;Melbye et al 2008;Moradi et al 2005;Tiggemann and Kuring 2004). Consequently, our goal here was to examine the possibility that body surveillance could be one mechanism through which self-weighing exerts a negative influence on body image.…”

Section: The Present Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Watching My Weight: Self-Weighing, Body Surveillance, and Body Dissatisfaction

Mercurio

Rima

2011

Sex Roles

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Understanding of the benefits of self-weighing are currently mixed, particularly with respect to women's psychological health. Applying Objectification theory (Fredrickson and Roberts 1997), we explored the role of body surveillance as a mechanism in the link between self-weighing, a common weight management technique, and body dissatisfaction. The study was cross-sectional and the sample included primarily Caucasian, US college students from the Northeast (N=145). Participants completed measures of self-weighing, body surveillance, and body dissatisfaction. We predicted that body surveillance would mediate the positive relation between selfweighing and body dissatisfaction. Results supported our prediction; however additional work is necessary to clarify the potential negative effects of self-weighing on women's body image.

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Section: Objectification Theory and Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Present Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

Watching My Weight: Self-Weighing, Body Surveillance, and Body Dissatisfaction

Mercurio

Rima

2011

Sex Roles

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“…Other work has indicated that women who are less dissatisfied with their bodies reported more frequent sexual activity and were more likely to initiate sex and try new sexual behaviors than those who were less satisfied (Ackard, Kearney-Cooke, & Peterson, 2000;Schooler, Merriwether, & Caruthers, 2005;Trapnell, Meston, & Gorzalka, 1997). Women with lower body dissatisfaction are also more likely to report greater sexual confidence (La Rocque & Cioe, 2011;Weaver & Byers, 2006) and greater sexual esteem (Calogero & Thompson, 2009; see also Dove & Wiederman, 2000).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Associations Between Positive Body Image, Sexual Liberalism, and Unconventional Sexual Practices in U.S. Adults

et al. 2017

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While studies have documented robust relationships between body image and sexual health outcomes, few studies have looked beyond sexual functioning in women. Here, we hypothesized that more positive body image would be associated with greater sexual liberalism and more positive attitudes toward unconventional sexual practices. An online sample of 151 women and 164 men from the U.S. completed measures of sexual liberalism, attitudes toward unconventional sexual practices, and indices of positive body image (i.e., body appreciation, body acceptance by others, body image flexibility, and body pride), and provided their demographic details. Regression analyses indicated that, once the effects of sexual orientation, relationship status, age, and body mass index had been accounted for, higher body appreciation was significantly associated with greater sexual liberalism in women and men. Furthermore, higher body appreciation and body image flexibility were significantly associated with more positive attitudes toward unconventional sexual practices in women and men. These results may have implications for scholars working from a sexpositive perspective, particularly in terms of understanding the role body image plays in sexual attitudes and behaviors.

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“…Finally, objectification theory suggests, and empirical evidence indicates, that self-surveillance is related to discomfort in sexual situations in women (Calogero and Thompson 2009;Fredrickson and Roberts 1997). This reduces women's enjoyment of sex.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Gender, Self-Objectification and Pubic Hair Removal

Smolak

Murnen

2011

Sex Roles

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Pubic hair removal is common in college age men and women in the United States and Australia. The present research addresses two questions related to this practice: (1) Are objectification and body shape concerns related to pubic hair removal; and (2) Do these relationships differ by gender? U.S. undergraduates, 148 women and 76 men, completed questionnaires about the presence, frequency of, and reasons for pubic hair removal; self-objectification, including self-surveillance and body shame; self-consciousness in sexual situations; and drives for leanness, thinness, and muscularity. While both genders reported similar rates of pubic hair removal, women reported greater frequency and higher normative, sexiness, and cleanliness reasons for pubic hair removal. Normative and sexiness reasons were positively correlated with self-surveillance. The relationships among normative and sexiness reasons and self-objectification were significantly higher for women with women's body shame and self-surveillance scores more strongly impacted by normative and sexiness reasons. Findings are interpreted within the framework of objectification theory.

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Sexual Self-Esteem in American and British College Women: Relations with Self-Objectification and Eating Problems

Cited by 74 publications

References 80 publications

Watching My Weight: Self-Weighing, Body Surveillance, and Body Dissatisfaction

Watching My Weight: Self-Weighing, Body Surveillance, and Body Dissatisfaction

Associations Between Positive Body Image, Sexual Liberalism, and Unconventional Sexual Practices in U.S. Adults

Gender, Self-Objectification and Pubic Hair Removal

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