The Relationship Between Sexual Objectification, Internalization of Sociocultural Standards of Beauty, and Self-Objectification: The Moderated Mediating Effect of Self-Concept Clarity

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the moderated mediation effect of self-concept clarity through internalization of sociocultural standards of beauty on the association between sexual objectification and self-objectification. Participants were 229 females in their 20s who completed online assessments. The results indicated that intercorrelations between sexual objectification, internalization of sociocultural standards of beauty, and self-objectification were positively significant, and were negatively correlated with self-concept clarity. The mediation model showed that the association between sexual objectification and self-objectification was full mediated by internalization of sociocultural standards of beauty. There was also a moderating effect of self-concept clarity on the path from internalization of sociocultural standards of beauty to self-objectification. Finally, self-concept clarity moderated the mediating effect of sexual objectification on self-objectification through internalization of sociocultural standards of beauty. The limitations and implications of this study are discussed.