Reveal or conceal your body? Differential manifestations of self-objectification are related to different patterns for women

StatusVoR
Simple item page
cris.lastimport.scopus2026-01-10T04:10:17Z
dc.abstract.enBody concealment, namely the attitudes and strategies specifically aimed at avoiding the other’s gaze towards one’s body, is here advanced as a relevant manifestation of chronic self-objectification. We juxtapose it to body exposure, that is the pursuit of being the object of others’ gaze. Three validation studies conducted in Italy (Studies 1 and 2) and the UK (Study 3), and an additional focus group, showed that body concealment and exposure are distinct responses, both positively linked to self-objectification. Importantly, distinct dimensions of self-objectification were associated with body concealment and body exposure: the internalization of the observer’s perspective was linked to body concealment via body shame; the internalization of objectifying ideals, instead, was associated with greater exposure (Study 4, Italy). Notably, body concealment, but not body exposure, was related to health issues typically linked to self-objectification, such as depression and disordered eating (Study 5, UK). Together, these studies (Ntotal = 2853) introduce body concealment as a new phenomenon within the sexual objectification framework, distinct from body exposure. From a theoretical perspective, this distinction reconciles seemingly contradictory evidence. From an applied point of view, body concealment has specific negative implications for women’s well-being, deserving the attention of scholars and practitioners.
dc.affiliationCentrum Badań nad Relacjami Społecznymi
dc.affiliationInstytut Psychologii
dc.contributor.authorCervone, Carmen
dc.contributor.authorVezzoli, Michela
dc.contributor.authorRuzzante, Daniela
dc.contributor.authorGaldi, Silvia
dc.contributor.authorFormanowicz, Magdalena
dc.contributor.authorGuizzo, Francesca
dc.contributor.authorSuitner, Caterina
dc.date.access2025-06-11
dc.date.accessioned2026-01-09T10:04:13Z
dc.date.available2026-01-09T10:04:13Z
dc.date.created2025-05-29
dc.date.issued2025-06-11
dc.description.accesstimeat_publication
dc.description.physical1-16
dc.description.sdgGenderEquality
dc.description.sdgGoodHealthAndWellBeing
dc.description.versionfinal_published
dc.description.volume54
dc.identifier.doi10.1016/j.bodyim.2025.101920
dc.identifier.eissn1873-6807
dc.identifier.issn1740-1445
dc.identifier.urihttps://share.swps.edu.pl/handle/swps/2133
dc.identifier.weblinkhttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1740144525000713
dc.languageen
dc.pbn.affiliationpsychologia
dc.rightsCC-BY-NC-ND
dc.rights.questionYes_rights
dc.share.articleOTHER
dc.subject.enSelf-objectification
dc.subject.enBody concealment
dc.subject.enSelf-sexualization
dc.subject.enBody exposure
dc.subject.enSexual objectification
dc.swps.sciencecloudsend
dc.titleReveal or conceal your body? Differential manifestations of self-objectification are related to different patterns for women
dc.title.journalBody Image
dc.typeJournalArticle
dspace.entity.typeArticle