Where’s the Party? How Clothing and Context Influence Perceptions of Women

Abstract

The sexual objectification of women is a large societal issue and is related to a host of negative mental and physical health implications for women. Past research has suggested that the objectification of women may be influenced by types of clothing worn and the context in which it is worn. However, it is difficult to discern how much objectification is modified by both clothing and contextual features simultaneously. We manipulated the type of clothing worn by models (high skin exposure or low skin exposure) and the type of context the clothing was allegedly worn for (a party or a job interview). Participants (N = 334) rated models on traits relating to objectification, professionalism, and capabilities. Analyses showed significant main effects for both context and outfit on most variables but no significant interactions. Results suggest that changing the context in which clothing is meant to be worn can significantly change a number of attributions made of the wearer by observers, specifically in terms of objectification. These findings may help build upon the ever-growing framework for understanding some potential mechanisms behind the objectification of women.