Perceiving one’s body through the eyes of others: A review of literature on self-objectification

Sexual objectification (i.e., the treatment of a person as a sexual object) is now a part of individuals’ daily interpersonal interactions and is highly apparent in the media (television, Internet, music, magazines, video games). Indeed, the media convey sexualized, idealized and stereotyped images of women and men that deeply influence the public’s attitudes towards their own bodies. According to objectification theory, being treated as an object leads women to engage in self-objectification, which in turns generates body shame and body surveillance as well as impairing their mental health (e.g., eating disorders, sexual dysfunction, depression). The purpose of this review of literature is threefold. First, we aim to introduce objectification theory, developed by Fredrickson and Roberts (1997), describing the influence of these ubiquitous representations of beauty on women’s mental health. Second, we aim to present a structured synthesis of the prominent studies that have significantly contributed to the understanding of the objectification phenomenon. Third, we will describe the current limitations of this theory and propose new research perspectives.