Self-Objectification and its Biological, Psychological and Social Predictors: A Cross-Cultural Study in Four European Countries and Iran
Although scholars started investigating self-objectification more than twenty years ago, only a few studies focused on men and even fewer have taken into account the cross-cultural dimension. Our study focused on the antecedents of self-objectification paying attention to the role of biological and...
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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PsychOpen GOLD/ Leibniz Institute for Psychology
2023-02-01
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Series: | Europe's Journal of Psychology |
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Online Access: | https://ejop.psychopen.eu/index.php/ejop/article/view/6075 |
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author | Silvia Gattino Kamila Czepczor-Bernat Angela Fedi Anna Brytek-Matera Mihaela Boza Jérémy E. Lemoine Reza N. Sahlan Emma Wilson Norma De Piccoli Chiara Rollero |
author_facet | Silvia Gattino Kamila Czepczor-Bernat Angela Fedi Anna Brytek-Matera Mihaela Boza Jérémy E. Lemoine Reza N. Sahlan Emma Wilson Norma De Piccoli Chiara Rollero |
author_sort | Silvia Gattino |
collection | DOAJ |
description | Although scholars started investigating self-objectification more than twenty years ago, only a few studies focused on men and even fewer have taken into account the cross-cultural dimension. Our study focused on the antecedents of self-objectification paying attention to the role of biological and sociodemographic variables (gender, BMI), psychological characteristics (self-esteem, perfectionism) together with social and cultural factors (internalization of media standards, influence of family and friends). Self-objectification was operationalized as Body Shame and Body Surveillance. A self-reported questionnaire was administered to 2165 adults living in four European countries (UK, Italy, Poland and Romania) and Iran. Ten regression models were performed (2 per country) to analyse the correlates of self-objectification. Overall, self-objectification emerged as a process affected by factors entrenched in psychological, biological, social and cultural domains, partially different for Body Shame and Body Surveillance. Findings showed the key role of self-esteem as a protective factor against Body Shame across countries. On the other hand, the internalization of media standards emerged as risk factor for both Body Shame and Body Surveillance in the five countries. Taken together, these results underline the complexity of self-objectification and the need to deepen research on this topic among non-Western countries. |
first_indexed | 2024-04-09T16:02:31Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-0c5c47b95fc14e78838274947261b183 |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 1841-0413 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-04-09T16:02:31Z |
publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
publisher | PsychOpen GOLD/ Leibniz Institute for Psychology |
record_format | Article |
series | Europe's Journal of Psychology |
spelling | doaj.art-0c5c47b95fc14e78838274947261b1832023-04-25T09:42:54ZengPsychOpen GOLD/ Leibniz Institute for PsychologyEurope's Journal of Psychology1841-04132023-02-01191274710.5964/ejop.6075ejop.6075Self-Objectification and its Biological, Psychological and Social Predictors: A Cross-Cultural Study in Four European Countries and IranSilvia Gattino0Kamila Czepczor-Bernat1Angela Fedi2Anna Brytek-Matera3Mihaela Boza4Jérémy E. Lemoine5Reza N. Sahlan6Emma Wilson7Norma De Piccoli8Chiara Rollero9Department of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, ItalyInstitute of Psychology, University of Wrocław, Wroclaw, PolandDepartment of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, ItalyInstitute of Psychology, University of Wrocław, Wroclaw, PolandDepartment of Psychology, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iaşi, Iasi, RomaniaSchool of Psychology, University of East London, London, United KingdomDepartment of Clinical Psychology, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, IranESRC Centre for Society and Mental Health, King’s College London, London, United KingdomDepartment of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, ItalyDepartment of Psychology, University of Turin, Turin, ItalyAlthough scholars started investigating self-objectification more than twenty years ago, only a few studies focused on men and even fewer have taken into account the cross-cultural dimension. Our study focused on the antecedents of self-objectification paying attention to the role of biological and sociodemographic variables (gender, BMI), psychological characteristics (self-esteem, perfectionism) together with social and cultural factors (internalization of media standards, influence of family and friends). Self-objectification was operationalized as Body Shame and Body Surveillance. A self-reported questionnaire was administered to 2165 adults living in four European countries (UK, Italy, Poland and Romania) and Iran. Ten regression models were performed (2 per country) to analyse the correlates of self-objectification. Overall, self-objectification emerged as a process affected by factors entrenched in psychological, biological, social and cultural domains, partially different for Body Shame and Body Surveillance. Findings showed the key role of self-esteem as a protective factor against Body Shame across countries. On the other hand, the internalization of media standards emerged as risk factor for both Body Shame and Body Surveillance in the five countries. Taken together, these results underline the complexity of self-objectification and the need to deepen research on this topic among non-Western countries.https://ejop.psychopen.eu/index.php/ejop/article/view/6075self-objectificationbody shamebody surveillancecultural diversity |
spellingShingle | Silvia Gattino Kamila Czepczor-Bernat Angela Fedi Anna Brytek-Matera Mihaela Boza Jérémy E. Lemoine Reza N. Sahlan Emma Wilson Norma De Piccoli Chiara Rollero Self-Objectification and its Biological, Psychological and Social Predictors: A Cross-Cultural Study in Four European Countries and Iran Europe's Journal of Psychology self-objectification body shame body surveillance cultural diversity |
title | Self-Objectification and its Biological, Psychological and Social Predictors: A Cross-Cultural Study in Four European Countries and Iran |
title_full | Self-Objectification and its Biological, Psychological and Social Predictors: A Cross-Cultural Study in Four European Countries and Iran |
title_fullStr | Self-Objectification and its Biological, Psychological and Social Predictors: A Cross-Cultural Study in Four European Countries and Iran |
title_full_unstemmed | Self-Objectification and its Biological, Psychological and Social Predictors: A Cross-Cultural Study in Four European Countries and Iran |
title_short | Self-Objectification and its Biological, Psychological and Social Predictors: A Cross-Cultural Study in Four European Countries and Iran |
title_sort | self objectification and its biological psychological and social predictors a cross cultural study in four european countries and iran |
topic | self-objectification body shame body surveillance cultural diversity |
url | https://ejop.psychopen.eu/index.php/ejop/article/view/6075 |
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