The Role of Self-Objectification in the Mental Health of Early Adolescent Girls: Predictors and Consequences

Tiggemann, Marika; Slater, Amy

Abstract

© The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Pediatric Psychology. All rights reserved. Objectives: The overall aim of the study was to investigate the applicability of Objectification Theory to the mental health of early adolescent girls, in particular, their dieting behaviors and depressive symptoms. Both predictors and consequences of self-objectification were examined. Methods: A sample of 204 girls with a mean age of 11.6 years completed questionnaire measures of media consumption, time spent on sports and hobbies, appearance conversations, self-objectification, body shame, dieting, and depressive symptoms. Results: Structural equation modeling showed that magazine and Internet exposure and appearance conversations with friends predicted self-objectification. Self-objectification itself predicted body shame, which in turn predicted both dieting and depressive symptoms, in accord with the pathways postulated by Objectification Theory. Conclusions: The results confirm that, as is the case with adult women, self-objectification plays a significant role in the mental health of early adolescent girls.

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2015
• Deposit Date: Feb 23, 2015
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 25, 2018
• Journal: Journal of Pediatric Psychology
• Print ISSN: 0146-8693
• Electronic ISSN: 1465-735X
• Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 40
• Issue: 7
• Pages: 704-711
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jpepsy/jsv021
• Keywords: adolescent girls, self-objectification, depression, dieting, body shame, media, body image
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/830711
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jpepsy/jsv021
• Additional Information: Additional Information : Published online 25 March 2015. This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced PDF of an article accepted for publication in Journal of Pediatric Psychology following peer review. The version of record Tiggemann, M. and Slater, A. (2015) The role of self-objectification in the mental health of early adolescent girls: Predictors and consequences. Journal of Pediatric Psychology. ISSN 0146-8693 is available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jpepsy/jsv021
• Contract Date: Jun 29, 2016