The Face of Sexualization: Faces Wearing Makeup are Processed Less Configurally than Faces Without Makeup
Human bodies are sometimes cognitively objectified, i.e., processed less configurally and more analytically, in a way that resembles how most objects are perceived. Whereas how people process images of sexualized bodies appearing in the mass media has been well documented; whether subtler manifestat...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Ubiquity Press
2019-10-01
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| Series: | International Review of Social Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.rips-irsp.com/articles/211 |
| _version_ | 1819043599799549952 |
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| author | Philippe Bernard Philippine Geelhand Lara Servais |
| author_facet | Philippe Bernard Philippine Geelhand Lara Servais |
| author_sort | Philippe Bernard |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Human bodies are sometimes cognitively objectified, i.e., processed less configurally and more analytically, in a way that resembles how most objects are perceived. Whereas how people process images of sexualized bodies appearing in the mass media has been well documented; whether subtler manifestations of sexualization, such as wearing makeup, might elicit cognitive objectification of ordinary women’s faces, remains unclear. The present paper aims at filling this gap. We hypothesized that faces wearing makeup would be processed less configurally than faces wearing no makeup. Sixty participants took part in a face recognition task, in which faces wearing or not wearing makeup were presented. In regards to faces with no makeup, people recognized face parts better in the context of whole faces than in isolation, which served as evidence of configural processing. In regards to faces wearing makeup, face parts were recognized equally well when presented in isolation vs. in the context of whole faces; evidence of a lower configural processing. That pattern of results was driven by eye makeup (vs. lipstick). Implications for research on objectification and sexualization are discussed. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T09:59:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-dcce284fe4a243b7878fbe8661e4f62a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2397-8570 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T09:59:21Z |
| publishDate | 2019-10-01 |
| publisher | Ubiquity Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | International Review of Social Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-dcce284fe4a243b7878fbe8661e4f62a2022-12-21T19:07:59ZengUbiquity PressInternational Review of Social Psychology2397-85702019-10-0132110.5334/irsp.21188The Face of Sexualization: Faces Wearing Makeup are Processed Less Configurally than Faces Without MakeupPhilippe Bernard0Philippine Geelhand1Lara Servais2Université Libre de BruxellesUniversité Libre de BruxellesUniversité Libre de BruxellesHuman bodies are sometimes cognitively objectified, i.e., processed less configurally and more analytically, in a way that resembles how most objects are perceived. Whereas how people process images of sexualized bodies appearing in the mass media has been well documented; whether subtler manifestations of sexualization, such as wearing makeup, might elicit cognitive objectification of ordinary women’s faces, remains unclear. The present paper aims at filling this gap. We hypothesized that faces wearing makeup would be processed less configurally than faces wearing no makeup. Sixty participants took part in a face recognition task, in which faces wearing or not wearing makeup were presented. In regards to faces with no makeup, people recognized face parts better in the context of whole faces than in isolation, which served as evidence of configural processing. In regards to faces wearing makeup, face parts were recognized equally well when presented in isolation vs. in the context of whole faces; evidence of a lower configural processing. That pattern of results was driven by eye makeup (vs. lipstick). Implications for research on objectification and sexualization are discussed.https://www.rips-irsp.com/articles/211sexualizationmakeupcognitive objectificationconfigural and analytic processingwhole/parts paradigmface perception |
| spellingShingle | Philippe Bernard Philippine Geelhand Lara Servais The Face of Sexualization: Faces Wearing Makeup are Processed Less Configurally than Faces Without Makeup International Review of Social Psychology sexualization makeup cognitive objectification configural and analytic processing whole/parts paradigm face perception |
| title | The Face of Sexualization: Faces Wearing Makeup are Processed Less Configurally than Faces Without Makeup |
| title_full | The Face of Sexualization: Faces Wearing Makeup are Processed Less Configurally than Faces Without Makeup |
| title_fullStr | The Face of Sexualization: Faces Wearing Makeup are Processed Less Configurally than Faces Without Makeup |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Face of Sexualization: Faces Wearing Makeup are Processed Less Configurally than Faces Without Makeup |
| title_short | The Face of Sexualization: Faces Wearing Makeup are Processed Less Configurally than Faces Without Makeup |
| title_sort | face of sexualization faces wearing makeup are processed less configurally than faces without makeup |
| topic | sexualization makeup cognitive objectification configural and analytic processing whole/parts paradigm face perception |
| url | https://www.rips-irsp.com/articles/211 |
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