Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences - Theses
Permanent URI for this collection
Search Results
1 - 3 of 3
-
ItemMasculine norms, intimate partner violence, and the mediating role of sexual objectification( 2019)Men’s violence against women continues to be a frequent and serious problem globally. Women are most likely to experience violence at the hands of a romantic partner, with one in four Australian women being a victim of intimate partner violence during her lifetime (Cox, 2016). Prior research has demonstrated that men who adhere to traditional gender norms around masculinity are more likely to act aggressively towards their partners (eg., Locke & Mahalik, 2005; Tager, Good, & Brammer, 2010). However, the relationship between masculinity and partner violence is inconsistent. We propose that objectification may be a potential mechanism for the relationship between masculinity and partner violence. Objectification is the process of perceiving a person not as a human, but as an object (Frederickson & Roberts, 1995). There is evidence that objectification of women can increase aggression towards them (Vasquez, Ball, Loughnan, & Pina, 2017), reduce desire to help them (Pacilli, Pagliaro, Loughnan, Gramazio, Spaccatini, & Baldry, 2016), and decrease their perceived suffering from victimization (Loughnan, Pina, Vasquez, & Puvia, 2013). Objectification may, therefore, help to explain why men who conform to masculine norms are more likely to hold attitudes accepting of intimate partner violence or behave aggressively towards their partners. Across three studies, we demonstrate a pattern of mediation whereby traditional masculine norms are associated with intimate partner violence via objectification. In Study 1, objectification is shown to correlate, and also mediate the relationship between, masculinity and self-reported IPV. In Study 2, we showed that objectification mediated the relationship between masculinity and violence; however, an experimental manipulation intended to test whether threatened masculinity has a causal impact of violence was ineffective. In Study 3, we replicated the mediation effect, but again found non-significant results for gender threat and objectification manipulations. Overall, we found consistent evidence that masculinity, objectification, and intimate partner violence were correlated with one another. The proposed mediation model, in which masculinity is associated with violence via objectification, was supported in all three studies; however, the failure of the manipulations restricts us from determining the causal direction of the pathway. Future research may consider other means of inducing objectification and gender threat to better understand the direction of the relationships. A focus on specific masculine norms, and an expansion into understanding cultural dynamics, would also provide significant contribution to this literature.
-
ItemFrom somebodies to bodies: towards a better understanding of the causes, process, and consequences of sexual objectification( 2013)The sexual objectification of the human body proliferates throughout Western culture. Not only is the phenomenon reinforced by mainstream media, which commonly portrays individuals as sexual objects, it is also enacted through everyday experiences, such as inappropriate sexual comments, catcalls, and the objectifying gaze. According to feminist philosophers, sexual objectification occurs when an individual (most typically a woman) is transformed into a thing for another’s sexual use (Bartky, 1990). The process not only involves viewing and valuing the person as a means to an end, but also denying them their inherent worth as a human being. The psychological literature on the phenomenon, while relatively new, has in recent years shed important insight into what facilitates the process, and the negative ramifications that result from valuing individuals on the basis of their appearance (e.g., Gurung & Chrouser, 2007; Holland & Haslam, 2013; Loughnan et al., 2010; Vaes, Paladino, & Puvia, 2011). However, despite the considerable progress that has been made, at present the existing literature is somewhat limited in terms of how it assesses the phenomenon. Specifically, a lack of consensus exists regarding what objectification represents and how best to measure it. Across three studies, this thesis aimed to provide and systematically test a more comprehensive model of objectification, construing objectification as the viewing of an individual as a) an object, and b) not a subject. Study One examines how a well-established precursor to objectification – provocative clothing – impacts these two aspects, and how the aspects contribute to a host of perceptual outcomes. It also examines the mediating role of objectification in the relationship between the precursor and outcome variables. The findings demonstrate that provocative clothing differentially influences the two aspects of objectification, with each aspect contributing to different outcomes. Thus, the results suggest that objectification is multifaceted, and that considering each aspect separately contributes to our understanding of the phenomenon. Study Two extends upon the first experiment by examining whether the different aspects of objectification represent a coherent phenomenon. To do this, I systematically vary three different target precursors – clothing type (i.e., provocative vs. plain), facial prominence (i.e. high vs. low), and target age (i.e., adult vs. child) – across a range of stimuli, and examine how these factors influence the two components of objectification. The findings suggest that all three precursor variables influence the extent to which a target is depersonalized, yet have no impact on the extent to which the target is seen as object-like. The results also reveal little coherence between the different aspects of objectification, suggesting that it is important to examine each aspect separately. Study Three draws upon an intriguing result from the previous study – the finding that pre-pubescent targets are denied personhood when portrayed in swimwear. Specifically, the study examines how the denial of personhood to bikini-clad pre-pubescent girls informs reactions to scenarios in which they are harmed and helped. The results demonstrate that objectifying perceptions facilitate reduced care towards the target, and an increase in victim blaming, and that the effect of provocative clothing on the outcomes is driven by a withdrawal of moral concern for the target. Once again, the findings suggest that the aspects of objectification differentially influence the outcome variables, thus attesting to the multifaceted and complex nature of the phenomenon. Taken together, the studies reported in this thesis demonstrate that the two aspects of objectification – viewing someone as an object, and not as a subject – are distinct from one another. Not only are they differently influenced by a range of precursor variables, they also contribute to different consequences of objectification. Given this, future research would benefit from taking a multifaceted approach to the study of objectification, to gain a more complete understanding of what facilitates the process, and the resultant outcomes.
-
ItemAdjustment in life after traumatic brain injury: the impact of cognition, employment, and perceived sense of purpose in life( 2013)Traumatic brain injury (TBI) affects the most wide-ranging domains of survivors’ lives, markedly reducing emotional health and quality of life. The primary objective of this study was to explore the widely proclaimed therapeutic effect of employment on psychological wellbeing (PWB) and quality of life (QoL) relative to perceived sense of purpose in life (PIL). An additional aim was to examine the influence of factors involving cognitive function, injury severity, age at time of injury, gender, and preinjury education, on survivors’ work ability and return to work (RTW). A mixed methods design was used for an in-depth and comprehensive understanding about adjustment in life post-TBI. Method: Participants (N=40; 10-18 months post-TBI) were grouped according to age: 18-39 years (younger group), 40-55 years (older group) and injury severity (Glasgow Coma Scale scores): mild TBI (n=25), moderate-severe TBI (n=15). Quantitative Component: Neuropsychological testing and questionnaire surveys were performed to evaluate participants’ cognitive function, levels of perceived work gainfulness, PIL, PWB, and QoL. Data was analysed using bivariate and multivariate analyses of variance, aided by SPSS computer software. Qualitative Component: 12 participants (6 from each severity group) were randomly selected for digitally recorded semi-structured interviews, predominantly concerning the impact of work and life meaningfulness on adjustment process. Interviews were analysed using grounded theory methodology, aided by NVivo 10 computer package. Results and Discussion: PIL, in comparison to employment, cognitive function, and injury severity, made the strongest unique contribution in explaining PWB and QoL (p < 0.001). Employment potential was largely affected by memory and injury severity, with increased memory deficits (p < 0.01) and injury severity (p < 0.05) respectively associated with deteriorated employment potential. Main Conclusion: Having a strong sense of life as purposeful, notwithstanding employment, cognitive function, and injury severity, encourages survivors to focus on their lives and important life goals and to ultimately, achieve a promising life with healthy wellbeing.