Self-Objectification and Alcohol Use in Young Adult College Women

AbstractFew studies have explored factors contributing to women ’s increasing alcohol consumption and associated consequences. One potential gender-relevant factor is self-objectification or the perspective toward the self where the body is primarily valued for its appearance and sexual appeal (Fredrickson& Roberts,1997). In the current study, we investigated the link between self-objectification and young adult college women ’s alcohol use as well as alcohol use prior to casual sexual activity or “hooking up.” In addition, we examined novel explanatory (i.e., sexual self-esteem, body consciousness during sexual activity, alcohol sexual enhancement expectancies) factors in predicting young adult college women’s d rinking behaviors via a parallel-serial multiple mediation model. We recruited participants (N = 518; 85% White, 74% heterosexual) via a psychology department human research pool and Facebook advertisements to complete an online survey. Results revealed that self-objectification was positively correlated with alcohol use and alcohol use prior to hooking up. In addition, self-objectificat ion was indirectly related to alcohol use through sexual self-esteem and alcohol sexual enhancement expectancies, as well as indirectly related to alcohol use prior to hooking up through alcohol sexual enhancement expectancies. None of our theorized three-stage mediation chains linking self-objectif ication to alcohol use behaviors were significant. These findings h...
Source: Sex Roles - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research