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Updated: Jul 12, 2025
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Validation of a Psychosocial Intervention on Body Image in Older People: An Experimental Design
Published on: May 31, 2021
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Objectification and body esteem: age group patterns in women's psychological functioning
Aurora M Sherman1, Sydney Tran1, John Sy1
1Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA.
Aging & Mental Health
|November 2, 2023
Summary
Older women experience less self-objectification and better psychological functioning than younger women. Self-objectification and body esteem mediate the relationship between age and psychological outcomes.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Women's Health
Background:
- Sexual objectification negatively impacts young adult women.
- Limited understanding of sexual objectification's effects on mid-life and older women.
Purpose of the Study:
- Assess self-objectification and sexually objectifying experiences in women aged 18-27 and 48-90.
- Examine the relationship between objectification, body esteem, and psychological functioning across age groups.
Main Methods:
- Surveyed 218 women on objectification, body esteem, self-esteem, and mood/anxiety.
- Utilized objectification theory to frame hypotheses and analyses.
Main Results:
- Self-objectification and objectifying experiences correlated with lower body esteem, self-esteem, and higher mood/anxiety.
- Older women reported lower objectification and better psychological functioning.
- Self-objectification and body esteem mediated the age-related differences in self-esteem and mood/anxiety.
Conclusions:
- Age influences the impact of self-objectification on psychological well-being.
- Findings support objectification theory and highlight age-related patterns in objectification's effects.
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