More than a body: Mind perception and the nature of objectification.

Abstract

According to models of objectification, viewing someone as a body induces de-mentalization, stripping away their psychological traits. Here evidence is presented for an alternative account, where a body focus does not diminish the attribution of all mental capacities but, instead, leads perceivers to infer a different kind of mind. Drawing on the distinction in mind perception between agency and experience, it is found that focusing on someone's body reduces perceptions of agency (self-control and action) but increases perceptions of experience (emotion and sensation). These effects were found when comparing targets represented by both revealing versus nonrevealing pictures (Experiments 1, 3, and 4) or by simply directing attention toward physical characteristics (Experiment 2). The effect of a body focus on mind perception also influenced moral intuitions, with those represented as a body seen to be less morally responsible (i.e., lesser moral agents) but more sensitive to harm (i.e., greater moral patients; Experiments 5 and 6). These effects suggest that a body focus does not cause objectification per se but, instead, leads to a redistribution of perceived mind.

The sexual objectification of girls and aggression towards them in gang and non-gang affiliated youth

“…Thus, objectification may be related not just to sexual aggression, but also to 7 general aggression and violence towards objectified individuals because it promotes hostility and decreased moral concern for them, which motivate aggressive tendencies and reduce inhibitions against aggressing, respectively. We point out, however, that some research suggests that the link between focusing on a person's body, which is generally expected to objectify them, and aggression towards them is more complex that many realise, such that a body focus may lead to more concern for a person's body and to less aggression (Gray, Knobe, Sheskin, Bloom, & Barrett, 2011). Gray et al (2011), for instance, found that focusing on a male confederate's body decreased the perception that he possessed moral responsibility/agency (less capable of engaging in morality), but increased the perception that he could experience more emotions and harm.…”

Toward a Unified Theory of Objectification and Dehumanization

“…Although there is no direct empirical support applying GLOMO to objectified impression formation (cf., Förster et al 2008, on GLOMO applied to social judgments more generally), existing objectification research can be reinterpreted through our model. Appearance-focus (Heflick and Goldenberg 2009), body reduction (Loughnan et al 2010;Gray et al 2011), and sexualization (Vaes et al 2011) have all been shown to cause object and animal attribute activation and human attribute inhibition. For example, Heflick and his colleagues found that famous women (e.g., Sarah Palin and Angelina Jolie; Heflick and Goldenberg 2009) as well as unfamiliar women (Heflick et al 2011) were regarded as less warm and less competent when participants focused on their appearance rather than as an entire person.…”

From bodies to blame: Exposure to sexually objectifying media increases tolerance toward sexual harassment.

“…Objectification studies have shown that sexual objectification shifts recognition processes, implicit and explicit attitudes, and rape perception and that these effects are often confined to female targets (Heflick & Goldenberg, 2009;Heflick, Goldenberg, Cooper, & Puvia, 2011;Vaes Paladino & Puvia, 2011), although a few studies also found effects for male targets (Gray, Knobe, Sheskin, Bloom, & Barrett, 2011;Loughnan et al, 2010). First, several studies showed that sexualized female bodies are visually perceived in piecemeal ways, similar to objects (Bernard, Gervais, Allen, Campomizzi, & Klein, 2012Bernard, Gervais, Allen, Delmée, & Klein, 2015;Bernard, Gervais, Allen, & Klein, 2013Civile & Obhi, 2015; see also Gervais, Vescio, Maass, Förster, & Suitner, 2012) and are seen as interchangeable things especially when having exaggerated sexual body parts (Gervais, Vescio, & Allen, 2012).…”

“…Except the woman in each of the two objectified versus nonobjectified video clips, no other characters appeared in these video clips. Drawing on recent research on sexual objectification (Gray et al, 2011;Loughnan et al, 2010;Vaes et al, 2011), we relied on a face-ism manipulation in order to manipulate sexual objectification: in each of the "personalizing" video clips, the women were casually clothed, they were singing and the camera mostly focuses on their faces (high faceism). In contrast, in the "sexual objectification" condition, the women were scantily clothed (miniskirt or underwear), they were singing and sometimes dancing, and the camera mostly focuses on their sexualized bodies (low face-ism).…”