The impact of culture on self-objectification and risky appearance management behaviors in college females: A path analytic model

According to objectification-theory, females are socialized to think of their bodies as objects. Given the presence of media and social influence in day to day life, these are likely to have an influence on how young adult females view their bodies. The current study specified a path model testing theoretically-based, hypothesized relationships between cultural, self-objectification, and certain appearance management behaviors in college females. As predicted, significant, positive relationships were found between the Internalization of the thin ideal and the Media, Relationship Status, and Family and Peer influence. Only two of the three hypothesized relationships between Internalization the components of McKinley and Hyde’s objectified body consciousness scale were supported. In addition, the hypothesized relationships between Shame and Control and appearance management behaviors were only partially supported. The relationship between certain cultural influences (e.g., Greek Membership) and self objectification remain unclear.