Self-Objectification

Self-objectification

Self-objectification is the psychological process whereby a person internalises an external, evaluative perspective of their own body — treating themselves as an object to be looked at or evaluated for appearance or sexual desirability. The term is often used in feminist psychology and is closely linked to Objectification Theory (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997).

Core features and mechanisms

Internalisation: cultural messages about beauty and desirability (media, advertising, social media) are taken on as standards the self must meet.
Body surveillance: habitual monitoring of one's appearance (checking mirrors, comparing to images, monitoring posture and movement).
Shame and appearance anxiety: failures to meet internalised standards commonly produce shame, anxiety, and avoidance.
Behavioural consequences: dieting, cosmetic procedures, restrictive clothing choices, and sexual behaviour shaped to meet perceived expectations.

Self-objectification is not simply being concerned with looks; it involves adopting an observer's viewpoint as the primary lens through which one experiences the body.

Psychological and physical impacts

Self-objectification is associated with a range of adverse outcomes documented in psychological research:

Higher body shame and lower body satisfaction
Increased risk of disordered eating (anorexia, bulimia) and unhealthy dieting behaviours
Greater anxiety and depressive symptoms
Reduced sexual satisfaction and problems with sexual functioning (e.g., difficulties concentrating during sex, avoidance of intimacy)
Impaired cognitive performance in objectified contexts (attention diverted by appearance concerns)

These effects operate across the lifespan but are often strongest during adolescence, pregnancy, and other life stages when bodies change or become publicly scrutinised.

Appearance-related communication: fat talk and old talk

Two everyday conversational forms amplify self-objectification:

Fat talk — self-denigrating comments about weight, shape or eating ("I'm so fat", "I shouldn't eat that"). See fat talk.
Old talk — negative remarks about ageing features (wrinkles, sagging, yellowing teeth). See old talk.

Both forms normalise appearance anxiety, increase social comparison, and predict greater body surveillance and shame.

Intersectionality and variability

Experiences of self-objectification vary by gender, race, class, sexuality, ability and age. For example:

Women and girls report higher average levels, but men, trans and non-binary people can also internalise appearance-focused perspectives.
Cultural beauty ideals differ by race and ethnicity, producing distinct pressures (e.g., hair, skin tone, body shape) and different patterns of internalisation.
Disability and ageing often alter the pathways through which people are objectified and self-objectify; these intersections can magnify exclusion and shame.

Evidence-based mitigation strategies

Interventions shown to reduce self-objectification or its harms include:

Media-literacy training: teaching people to critique and contextualise images and marketing.
Mindfulness and body-awareness practices: reducing evaluative thinking and increasing non-judgemental attention to bodily experience.
Cognitive-behavioural approaches: challenging automatic negative appearance-related thoughts.
Body-neutrality and body-acceptance programmes: shifting emphasis from appearance to function and personal values.
Structural changes: representation in media, critique of appearance-based workplaces and platforms that monetise objectification.

In erotic writing

Writers using self-objectification as a theme can do so responsibly:

Show the internal experience (body surveillance, intrusive self-talk) without reducing characters to props.
Use sensory detail to convey both the pull of being looked at and moments of regained agency.
Explore arcs of resistance: mindful attention, mutual respect, and explicit consent scenes that foreground personhood over appearance.

Notes and sources

This entry summarises research developed from Objectification Theory (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997) and subsequent empirical work (e.g., Paula Calogero, Tiggemann and colleagues) on appearance-related communication, health outcomes, and interventions. The Wikipedia article on self-objectification was consulted to align key topics and terminology and has been paraphrased to avoid verbatim copying.