When perceived partner-objectification contaminates women’s self-esteem: On the mediating effects of self-objectification and body appreciation

Abstract This research examined how heterosexual women's self-esteem is affected by their perception of being objectified by their partner – either personally (personal objectification; Studies 1a and 2) or categorically (categorical objectification; Studies 1b and 2). Two mediators were hypothesized: self-objectification, as internalized partner-objectification, and lack of body appreciation, as consequence of self-objectification. Participants were in total 1052 young heterosexual women, all in romantic relationships. The serial mediation hypothesis was corroborated in Studies 1a and 1b. That is, perceived partner-objectification, whether directed to the partner herself (Study 1a) or women generally (Study 1b), was positively associated with self-objectification, which, in turn, was associated with negative body appreciation and negative self-esteem. In Study 1a, a further, unexpected mediation effect occurred: Body appreciation mediated a positive association between perceived partner-objectification and self-esteem. Study 2 considered both types of perceived partner-objectification concurrently. Here, only perceived partner-directed objectification, not objectification of women generally, turned out as indirectly associated with self-esteem, via self-objectification and body appreciation. The discussion centers on the ambivalent to derogatory role that men’s objectification of women plays in romantic relationships, especially when objectification targets the partner personally.