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How sexual objectification generates dehumanization in Western and Eastern Cultures: a comparison between Belgium and Thailand

par Wollast, Robin ;Puvia, Elisa ;Bernard, Philippe ;Tevichapong, Passagorn;Klein, Olivier
Référence Swiss journal of psychology, 77, page (69–82)
Publication Publié, 2018-04-01

Article révisé par les pairs

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Résumé :

Ever since Fredrickson and Roberts (1997) proposed objectification theory, research on self-objectification and – by extension –other-objectification has experienced a considerable expansion. However, most of the studies on sexual objectification have been conductedsolely in Western populations. This study investigates whether the effect of target sexualization on social perception differs as a function ofculture (Western vs. Eastern). Specifically, we asked a Western sample (Belgian, N = 62) and a Southeast Asian sample (Thai, N = 98) to ratesexualized versus nonsexualized targets.Wefound that sexual objectification results in dehumanization in both Western (Belgium) and Eastern(Thailand) cultures. Specifically, participants from both countries attributed less competence and less agency to sexualized than to nonsexualizedtargets, and they reported that they would administer more intense pain to sexualized than to nonsexualized targets. Thus, buildingon past research, this study suggests that the effect of target sexualization on dehumanization is amore general rather than a culture-specificphenomenon.