Self-Objectification and Sexuality: A Systematic Scoping Review‏

Objectification theory posits that women are viewed and treated as objects valued primarily for their appearance and sexual desirability for others. This feminist framework argues that the ubiquitous objectifying gaze in Western heterosexual culture causes women to view themselves as objects (i.e. self-objectification), which has been associated with negative mental health outcomes–particularly depression, eating disorders, and less frequently studied–sexual dysfunction and satisfaction. Here, we systematically review the empirical work on the relations between self-objectification and sexuality-related outcomes. Following a PRISMA-guided review, we screened 351 records and included 39 articles reporting 47 studies conducted across 10 countries. Most studies sampled adult women and were cross-sectional (89%), with only two longitudinal and three experimental designs. Outcomes were clustered into nine domains, most of which (i.e. sexual dysfunction, sexual satisfaction, sexual behaviors, relationship satisfaction, and attitudes toward sexual violence) present inconsistent results, probably due to methodological limitations. Other domains (i.e. sexual subjectivity and sexual emotional labor) were empirically linked to self-objectification but remain understudied. We found, however, strong evidence for a link between self-objectification and two outcomes: sexual victimization and safety-related anxiety/fear of rape. Yet research on self-objectification and sexuality-related outcomes suffers from methodological limitations that make firm conclusions difficult. Current gaps in the literature include a predominant reliance on cross-sectional designs, the overrepresentation of Western, heterosexual, college-aged samples, and the near absence of gender- and sexual-minority participants. Advancing the field would require greater methodological rigor (e.g. longitudinal and experimental designs, use of appropriate measures) and more diverse sampling strategies. It would also benefit from examining both mediators proposed by the original theory and novel ones, as well as moderators, to better understand when, how, and for whom self-objectification undermines sexual well-being.