The Impact of Sexually Objectifying Media Exposure on Negative Body Emotions and Sexual Self-Perceptions: Investigating the Mediating Role of Body Self-Consciousness

Abstract

Objectification theory ( Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997 Fredrickson, B. L. and Roberts, T.-A. 1997. Objectification theory: Toward understanding women's lived experiences and mental health risks. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 21: 173–206. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] [Google Scholar] ) contends that an objectifying culture can create a heightened level of body self-consciousness among young people. This study explores the role of body self-consciousness in mediating the relationship between exposure to sexually objectifying media (television and magazines) and two sets of criterion variables: negative body emotions and sexual dysfunction. A survey of 384 undergraduates was conducted. Results suggested that body surveillance partially mediated the relation between exposure to sexually objectifying television and magazines and body shame, appearance anxiety, and body image self-consciousness during physical intimacy. Surprisingly few gender differences were found in these relation.