Sexual objectification: An introduction

“What is objectification? I heard this word a lot of times, for example, “women shouldn’t be objectified” but never really understood what it means?” writes a user on Quora. Many other users echo this question, while others give their take on what it means to be objectified. This example shows that the terms objectification and sexual objectification have entered common usage, but many people may not be aware of their meaning, not to mention their psychological implications. The purpose of this chapter is to reduce this lacuna by providing a non-comprehensive overview of the psychological research on sexual objectification. I will start by defining sexual objectification and explaining its philosophical and psychological roots. Then, I will introduce objectification theory (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997), which describes the detrimental effects of sexual objectification on women’s self-perception (self-objectification) and well-being. The chapter also covers research on how women are viewed (dehumanized) and treated by others when sexually objectified, including one of the most dangerous and extreme consequences, namely sexual harassment and violence. Finally, I will briefly discuss possible ways to prevent and address sexual objectification.