Objectification and body esteem: age group patterns in women's psychological functioning.

Objectives: Sexual objectification is related to negative outcomes for young adult women, but whether sexual objectification operates similarly for women in mid-life or older adulthood is less clear. Our aim was to assess self-objectification and sexually objectifying experiences for women in two different age groups, 18-27 and 48-90 and, further, test the relationship between objectification and psychological functioning. Based on objectification theory, we hypothesized that young adults would report higher self-objectification and sexually objectifying experiences compared to women in the older group. We further expected that these age differences would be related to body esteem and psychological functioning.

Methods: We surveyed 218 women regarding their sexually objectifying experiences and self-objectification, as well as body esteem, global self-esteem, and mood/anxiety, all outcomes theoretically expected to be related to sexual objectification and self-objectification.

Results: Sexually objectifying experiences and self-objectification were correlated with lower body esteem, lower global self-esteem, and higher mood/anxiety symptoms. Further, older women reported lower objectification and better psychological functioning. Tests of serial mediation showed that the relationship between age and two outcomes (self-esteem and mood/anxiety symptoms) was mediated by self-objectification and body esteem, while the model using experiences of sexually objectifying experiences was not supported.

Conclusion: Older women differed from younger women in the impact of self-objectification. We discuss these outcomes referencing age patterns and objectification theory.