Self-Objectification in Women Causes, Consequences, and Counteractions

Modern industrialized society chronically and pervasively objectifies the female body, and many women have come to view themselves through the lens of an external observer, habitually monitoring their own appearance whether in public or private settings. Given the negative effects associated with self-objectification-such as body shame, appearance anxiety, depression, and disordered eating-an empirically based approach to researching and treating self-objectification is critical. This book integrates recent research developments and current clinical knowledge on self-objectification in women. Using Barbara L. Fredrickson and Tomi-Ann Roberts' objectification theory as a framework, the contributors address various aspects of the theory, including evidence for and causes of self-objectification across the life span, psychological consequences, and associated mental health risks. The book also discusses various scales for measuring self-objectification, as well as approaches to prevent and disrupt this phenomenon. With research from a variety of disciplines-psychology, sociology, anthropology, women's studies, and political science-this book should be read by everyone interested in the well-being of women.

Rachel M. Calogero, PhD, is an assistant professor of psychology at Virginia Wesleyan College in Norfolk. She completed her PhD in social psychology in 2007 at the University of Kent in Canterbury, England, where she subsequently held a postdoctoral research fellowship funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.
 
Dr. Calogero has published and presented extensively on self-objectification in women, with particular interest in the environmental and sociocultural antecedents of self-objectification.
 
Her research also includes investigations of sexist ideology, fat prejudice, disordered eating and exercise practices, and closed-mindedness. As a social psychologist, her interests include an analysis of the sociocultural, social–cognitive, and self processes that contribute to the legitimization of oppressive social practices.
 
Stacey Tantleff-Dunn, PhD, is an associate professor of psychology at the University of Central Florida. She received her BA from George Washington University in 1989 and her PhD in clinical psychology from the University of South Florida in 1995.
 
Dr. Tantleff-Dunn joined the faculty at the University of Central Florida in 1996 and founded the Laboratory for the Study of Eating, Appearance, and Health. Her research area is body image, particularly interpersonal and media influences on body image. Her research and clinical work include a focus on interpersonal psychotherapy, particularly as they relate to body image, eating disturbance, and obesity.
 
Dr. Tantleff-Dunn is coauthor of Exacting Beauty: Theory, Assessment and Treatment of Body Image Disturbance, and she serves on the editorial boards of Body Image: An International Journal of Research and Eating Disorders: The Journal of Treatment and Prevention.
 
She has over 15 years of clinical experience providing direct services and supervision of assessment and psychotherapy for individuals, couples, and families.
 
J. Kevin Thompson, PhD, is a professor of psychology at the University of South Florida in Tampa. His research interests include body image, eating disorders, and obesity.
 
He has been an associate editor of Body Image: An International Journal of Research since 2003 and has been on the editorial board of the International Journal of Eating Disorders since 1990. He has authored, coauthored, edited, or coedited eight previous books in the areas of body image, eating disorders, and obesity.