Gender Differences in Experiences with Sexual Objectification

Sexual objectification is a prevalent societal issue that can lead to internalizing an objectified perspective of the body (Engeln-Maddox, Miller, & Doyle, 2011). Contrary to popular belief, objectification is applicable to both men and women (Aubrey, 2006). College students are believed to have many encounters involving sexual objectification, but few researchers have investigated sexual objectification in men, creating a need to expand research in this area. I explored gender differences in experiences of sexual objectification in male and female college students. General psychology students completed the Interpersonal Sexual Objectification Scale (Kozee, Tylka, Augustus-Horvath, & Denchik, 2007). I report a statistically significant difference in sexual objectification based on gender, indicating that women experience sexual objectification more often than do men. Keywords: sexual objectification, gender, college student