Developing and Validating the Proactive Self-Objectification Scale: A Resource Conservation Strategy

Objectification has long been considered as a significant issue in toxic work environment. However, when it comes to self-objectification, previous studies have primarily viewed it as a passive internalization and self-perception of dehumanizing treatment, overlooking the role of human agency in this cognition adaption process. Drawing on Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, we posit that in workplace, individuals may intentionally treat themselves as feelingless functional entities (e.g., tools, machines) at work, a process we conceptualize as proactive self-objectification, to conserve their emotional and cognitive resources. In this study, we develop and validate a measure of this construct,ensuring conceptual clarity by distinguishing it from related concepts. Our six-item scale shows strong psychometric properties, including high internal consistency, robust factor structure, and criterion validity, making it a reliable tool for workplace contexts across four independent samples. Our study contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of self-objectification in the workplace. Practical implications and directions for future research are discussed.