ERIC Number: EJ908605
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2011-Jan
Pages: 28
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0011-0000
EISSN: N/A
Sexual Objectification and Substance Abuse in Young Adult Women
Carr, Erika R.; Szymanski, Dawn M.
Counseling Psychologist, v39 n1 p39-66 Jan 2011
Objectification Theory (Fredrickson & Roberts, 1997) provides an important perspective for understanding the experiences of women living in a culture that sexualizes and objectifies the female body. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between interpersonal sexual objectification experiences and women's substance abuse in a sample of 289 young adult women. Findings indicate that both everyday (e.g., body evaluation) and extreme (i.e., sexual victimization) forms of sexual objectification experiences were positively correlated with alcohol, nicotine, and other drug abuse. Furthermore, the findings provide support for a theorized mediated model in which sexual objectification is linked to women's substance abuse both directly and indirectly via self-objectification, body shame, and depression. (Contains 1 table and 2 figures.)
Descriptors: Females, Drug Abuse, Young Adults, Depression (Psychology), Sexuality, Interpersonal Attraction, Self Concept, Social Theories, Human Body, Interpersonal Relationship, Correlation, Drinking, Smoking, Substance Abuse, Models
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A