“I feel fat and ugly and hate myself”: Self-objectification through negative constructions of premenstrual embodiment

Ussher, Jane M.; Perz, Janette

doi:10.1177/0959353519900196

Cited by 12 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 75 publications

(89 reference statements)

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“…The results show that, regardless of the phrasing of the question, the polarity of menstruating individual's accounts of the premenstrual experience are overall negative, but not solely so. Our results are consistent with previous studies showing that menstruating individuals describe their premenstrual phase as a negative period [40,41]. This suggests that in ammation associated with the menstrual cycle has a large impact on descriptions, leading menstruating individuals to experience the phase in a negative way.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

The polarity and diversity of premenstrual testimonies are influenced by question framing in an online experiment

Kountourides

Alvergne

2022

Preprint

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The discourse around menstrual cycles is often pathologised, leading to negative perceptions of menstruation. The extent to which premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is inherently negative or the result of medicalised framing has long remained unclear. We address this gap by investigating whether framing the premenstrual experience as being both negative and positive components would enable individuals to report more diverse and positive experiences than are currently reported. In an online experiment, 2,638 participants were randomly allocated to one of three question phrasings (control: describe your premenstrual experience; treatment one: describe your positive and negative premenstrual experience; treatment two: describe your negative and positive premenstrual experience). Sentiment analysis was applied to responses to create polarity scores. A two-part Bayesian model was performed to investigate the effect of phrasing in predicting differences in polarity scores. Across all phrasings, responses were negatively skewed. However, response polarity scores and diversity of symptoms were higher if the question specified both positive and negative experiences compared to the control group. This corroborates previous literature showing that a negative premenstrual phase is a widespread phenomenon but challenges the idea that the premenstrual experience is solely negative. The findings have implications for how the premenstrual experience is quantified.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

The polarity and diversity of premenstrual testimonies are influenced by question framing in an online experiment

Kountourides

Alvergne

2022

Preprint

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“…This may be a consequence of negative emotional changes experienced premenstrually, which often include self-criticism (Ussher & Perz, 2013), or upward social comparison may be a factor which exacerbates premenstrual distress. In combination, fragmentation of body parts, self-scrutiny and upward social comparison suggest a form of self-objectification (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997) previously found within the premenstrual phase (Ussher & Perz, 2020a).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 81%

Mapping the abject: Women's embodied experiences of premenstrual body dissatisfaction through body-mapping

Ryan

Ussher

Hawkey

2022

Feminism & Psychology

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Women's body shame and body dissatisfaction increase in the premenstrual phase of the cycle, associated with premenstrual distress. However, the meaning and consequences of premenstrual body dissatisfaction remain underexplored. The aim of this study was to explore how women who report premenstrual body dissatisfaction construct and experience their bodies, using qualitative arts-based methods. Four hundred and sixty women completed online open-ended survey questions and 16 women took part in body-mapping and an interview. Thematic analysis identified three major themes: construction of the premenstrual body as abject, manifested by positioning of the body and self as fat, leaking and dirty; self-policing and self-regulation through increased scrutinising and concealment of the premenstrual body; and resistance of cultural constructions of idealised femininity. These findings emphasise the need to acknowledge changes in body dissatisfaction across the menstrual cycle, and the implication for women's feelings about the self. Internalisation of negative constructions of the female body plays a role in women's experience of premenstrual change and distress. There is a need for further research to examine the role of body management behaviours in premenstrual body dissatisfaction and distress.

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“…The stigma around women's bodies, especially the perception of women's bodies as "animalistic," encourages their dehumanization (Chrisler, 2011;Haslam, 2006;Nussbaum, 1995). Women who internalize negative sociocultural attitudes toward their bodies-viewing their bodies as a thing to be judged and used-are more likely to dehumanize themselves and others (Puvia & Vaes, 2013;Ussher & Perz, 2020;Vaes et al, 2014). Dehumanization can act as a mechanism through which appraisals of women's bodies are associated with social behaviors and interactions (Gervais et al, 2013).…”

Section: The Mediating Roles Of Dehumanization and Communicationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Young Women’s Body Attitudes and Sexual Satisfaction: Examining Dehumanization and Communication as Serial Multiple Mediators

Holland

Silver

Cipriano

et al. 2021

Psychology of Women Quarterly

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Women’s bodies are frequent sites of stigmatization. The internalization of negative attitudes toward the body can have negative implications for women’s sexual wellbeing. In the current study, we examined the relationships between young women’s internalization of body stigma—including body shape, genitals, and menstrual periods—and sexual satisfaction. Additionally, we tested two mechanisms that may mediate the relationship between body attitudes and sexual satisfaction: dehumanization (i.e., feelings of a loss of autonomy and subjectivity) and communication with a sexual partner (e.g., expressing needs and desires). We collected and analyzed survey data from 569 undergraduate women. We tested serial mediation models, such that more negative body attitudes would predict greater feelings of dehumanization, and more dehumanization would predict less comfort communicating with a sexual partner, and less comfort communicating would then predict decreased sexual satisfaction. We found support for serial mediation, which suggests that the links between body attitudes and sexual satisfaction may be partially explained by feelings of dehumanization and communication with a sexual partner. Our findings identify opportunities for intervention in practice and policy, and further clarify the ways that sociocultural stigma surrounding women’s bodies extends beyond the body—affecting women’s feelings of power, relationships, and sexual lives.

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“I feel fat and ugly and hate myself”: Self-objectification through negative constructions of premenstrual embodiment

Cited by 12 publications

References 75 publications

The polarity and diversity of premenstrual testimonies are influenced by question framing in an online experiment

The polarity and diversity of premenstrual testimonies are influenced by question framing in an online experiment

Mapping the abject: Women's embodied experiences of premenstrual body dissatisfaction through body-mapping

Young Women’s Body Attitudes and Sexual Satisfaction: Examining Dehumanization and Communication as Serial Multiple Mediators

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