A Mile in Her Heels: Do Men and Women Agree on How Often Women Are Sexually Objectified?

Abstract Despite extensive research on women’s experiences of sexual objectification, no research has examined whether women and men are aligned in their estimates of how often women have these experiences. Across three studies (one preregistered), we examined discrepancies between how often women reported experiencing sexual objectification and how often men believed women experienced this type of sexual objectification. Participants estimated frequency using a verbally anchored response scale (“ never ” to “ almost always ”) and a numeric count (e.g., times per week). In Studies 1 and 2, men’s estimates of how often women experience sexual objectification were significantly higher than women’s reports. In Studies 2 and 3, women’s estimates for how often the “average young woman” experiences sexual objectification were significantly higher than men’s estimates for overt sexual objectification (e.g., catcalling), but significantly lower than men’s estimates for covert sexual objectification (e.g., leering). An analysis of participants’ explanations for this pattern revealed gendered differences in reasons for this discrepancy. This work points to a disconnect between how men and women perceive women’s experience of sexual objectification in their everyday lives.