Putting a Sexy Self Forward on Tinder: What Do Viewers Think About Sexualized White Men?

AbstractVery little is known about viewers ’ attitudes toward sexualized portrayals of men on social media platforms. Using an experimental methodology, the present study investigated the effect of a sexualized versus non-sexualized Tinder profile of a young White man on college students’ perceptions of the profile owner. The impact of m ultiple aspects of sexualization including a self-sexualizing self-description on one’s profile (i.e., interested in casual sex) as well as a sexualizing appearance (i.e., muscular and shirtless) were investigated. U.S. college students (N = 567) viewed a mock Tinder profile and then rated the target ’s competence, social appeal, physical attractiveness, and likelihood of engaging in risky sexual behavior. Findings indicate a young White man with a sexualized self-presentation on a dating app may be perceived as less competent and as a sexual risk-taker. These results contribute to the small b ody of research documenting the impact of self-sexualization on a dating app profile.
Source: Sex Roles - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Source Type: research