Abstract
This mixed-method study explored the relationship between self-objectification and sexuality in a small sample of late-adolescent girls. Based on their responses to a survey measure of body objectification, the authors chose six 12th-grade girls’ semistructured interviews from a larger pool of interviews to examine what girls who scored low on the measure (less self-objectified) and girls who scored high on the measure (more self-objectified) said about their sexuality. Using thematic analysis, the authors identified themes such as communication of sexual desires and boundaries. This study found that less self-objectified girls expressed positive attitudes about sexuality, evidenced more comfort talking about sexuality, and engaged in sexual experimentation, whereas more self-objectified girls were less comfortable talking about sex and expressed regret at having had sex. Teaching embodied practices that disrupt girls’ self-objectification and promote positive body image may help girls experience greater sexual health, agency, sexual satisfaction, and partner communication.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bartky, S. L. (1990). Femininity and domination: Studies in the phenomenology of oppression. New York: Routledge.
Berger, J. (1972). Ways of seeing. London: Penguin.
Brown, J. A. (1998). Media literacy perspectives. Journal of Communication, 48(1), 44–57.
Brown, L. M., & Gilligan, C. (1992). Meeting at the crossroads: Women’s psychology and girls’ development. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Collins, R. L., Elliot, M. N., Berry, S. H., Kanouse, D. E., Kunkel, D., Hunter, S. B., et al. (2004). Watching sex on television predicts adolescent initiation of sexual behavior. Pediatrics, 114, e280-e289.
Daubenmier, J. J. (2005). The relationship of yoga, body awareness, and body responsiveness to self-objectification and disordered eating. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 29, 207–219.
de Beauvoir, S. (1961). The second sex. New York: Bantam Books.
Diamond, L. (2006, Summer). Introduction: In search of good sexual-developmental pathways for adolescent girls. New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, (112), 1–7.
Dove, N. L., & Wiederman, M. W. (2000). Cognitive distraction and women’s sexual functioning. Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, 26, 67–78.
Du Bois, D. L., Tevendale, H. D., Burk-Braxton, C., Swenson, L. P., & Hardesty, J. L. (2000). Self-system influences during early adolescence: Investigation of an integrative model. Journal of Early Adolescence, 20, 12–43.
Ehrhardt, A. A. (1996). Editorial: Our view of adolescent sexuality: A focus on risk behavior without the developmental context. American Journal of Public Health, 86, 1523–1525.
Entwisle, D. R., & Astone, N. M. (1994). Some practical guidelines for measuring youth’s race/ethnicity and socioeconomic status. Child Development, 65, 1521–1540.
Fine, M. (1988). Sexuality, schooling, and adolescent females: The missing discourse of desire. Harvard Educational Review, 58, 29–53.
Fredrickson, B. L., & Roberts, T. A. (1997). Objectification theory: Toward understanding women’s lived experiences and mental health risks. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 21, 173–206.
Frederickson, B. L., Roberts, T. A., Noll, S. M., Quinn, D. M., & Twenge, J. M. (1998). That swimsuit becomes you: Sex differences in self-objectification, restrained eating, and math performance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 75, 269–284.
Grauerholz, E., & King, A. (1997). Prime time sexual harassment. Violence Against Women, 3, 129–148.
Groesz, L. M., Levine, M. P., & Murnen, S. K. (2002). The effect of experimental presentation of thin media images on body satisfaction: A meta-analytic review. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 31, 1–16.
Holland, J., Ramazanoglu, C., Sharpe, S., & Thomson, R. (1998). The male in the head: Young people, heterosexuality, and power. London: Tufnell Press.
Impett, E. A., Daubenmier, J. J., & Hirschman, A. L. (2006). Minding the body: Yoga, embodiment, and well-being. Sexuality Research and Social Policy: Journal of NSRC, 3(4), 39–48.
Impett, E. A., Schooler, D., & Tolman, D. L. (2006). To be seen and not heard: Femininity ideology and adolescent girls’ sexual health. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 35, 129–142.
Kubey, R., & Baker, F. (1999, October 27). Has media literacy found a curricular foothold? Education Week, 19, 56–58.
Lin, C. A. (1998). Uses of sex appeals in prime-time television commercials. Sex Roles, 38, 461–475.
McKinley, N. M., & Hyde, J. S. (1996). The Objectified Body Consciousness Scale: Development and validation. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 20, 181–215.
Muelenkamp, J. J., & Saris-Baglama, R. N. (2002). Self-objectification and its psychological outcomes for college women. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 26, 371–379.
Noll, S. M., & Fredrickson, B. L. (1998). A mediational model linking self-objectification, body shame, and disordered eating. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 22, 623–636.
Russell, S. T. (2005). Introduction to positive perspectives on adolescent sexuality: Part 2. Sexuality Research and Social Policy: Journal of NSRC, 2(4), 1–3.
Ryan, G. W., & Bernard, H. R. (2000). Data management and analysis methods. In N. K. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), Handbook of qualitative research (pp. 769–802). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Schooler, D., Kim, J. L., & Sorsoli, L. (2006). Setting rules or sitting down: Parental mediation of television consumption and adolescent self-esteem, body image, and sexuality. Sexuality Research and Social Policy: Journal of NSRC, 3(4), 49–62.
Schooler, D., Ward, M. L., Merriwether, A., & Caruthers, A. (2005). Cycles of shame: Menstrual shame, body shame, and sexual decision-making. Journal of Sex Research, 42, 324–334.
Smith, C. P. (Ed.). (1992). Motivation and personality: Handbook of thematic content analysis. New York: Cambridge University Press.
Smolak, L., Murnen, S., & Ruble, A. (2000). Female athletes and eating problems: A meta-analysis. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 27, 371–380.
Sommers-Flanagan, R., Sommers-Flanagan, J., & Davis, B. (1993). What’s happening on music television? A gender role content analysis. Sex Roles, 28, 745–753.
Stice, E., Hayward, C., Cameron, R. P., Killen, J. D., & Taylor, C. B. (2000). Body-image and eating disturbances predict onset of depression among female adolescents: A longitudinal study. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 109, 438–444.
Tashakkori, A., & Teddlie, C. (1998). Mixed methodology: Combining qualitative and quantitative approaches. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Taylor, S. J., & Bogdan, R. (1984). Introduction to qualitative research methods: The search for meanings. New York: John Wiley.
Tiggemann, M., & Kuring, J. K. (2004). The role of body objectification in disordered eating and depressed mood. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 43, 299–311.
Tolman, D. L. (2002). Dilemmas of desire: Teenage girls talk about sexuality. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Tolman, D. L., & Debold, E. (1993). Conflicts of body and image: Female adolescents, desire, and the no-body body. In P. Fallon, M. Katzman, & S. Wooley (Eds.), Feminist perspectives on eating disorders (pp. 301–317). New York: Guilford Press.
Tolman, D., Hirschman, C., & Impett, E. (2005). There is more to the story: The place of qualitative research on female adolescent sexuality in policy making. Sexuality Research and Social Policy: Journal of NSRC, 2(4), 4–17.
Tolman, D. L., Impett, E. A., Tracy, A. J., & Michael, A. (2006). Looking good, sounding good: Femininity ideology and adolescent girls’ mental health. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 30, 85–95.
Tolman, D. L., & Porche, M. V. (2000). The Adolescent Femininity Ideology Scale: Development and validation of a new measure for girls. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 24, 365–376.
Ward, L. M. (2002). Does television exposure affect emerging adults’ attitudes and assumptions about sexual relationships? Correlational and experimental confirmation. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 31, 1–15.
Wiederman, M. W. (2000). Women’s body image self-consciousness during physical intimacy with a partner. Journal of Sex Research, 37, 60–68.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hirschman, C., Impett, E.A. & Schooler, D. Dis/Embodied Voices: What Late-Adolescent Girls Can Teach Us About Objectification and Sexuality. Sex Res Soc Policy 3, 8–20 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1525/srsp.2006.3.4.8
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1525/srsp.2006.3.4.8