Measuring self-objectification in cisgender heterosexual women and men: A psychometric validation of the self-objectification beliefs and behaviors scale

Abstract

Research demonstrates that self-objectification negatively impacts both cisgender heterosexual women and men. However, measures of self-objectification have primarily been designed for and validated in women, raising doubts about their applicability to men and demonstrated gender differences in self-objectification. This research investigated the psychometric properties of the Self-Objectification Beliefs and Behaviors Scale (SOBBS; Lindner & Tantleff-Dunn, 2017) in cisgender heterosexual women, and for the first time, in cisgender heterosexual men. Study 1 (women = 180, men = 163) and 2 (women = 137, men = 138, age-representative samples) used an online longitudinal design. Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) in Study 1 supported the original 2-factor structure of the SOBBS across genders. Multigroup CFA in Study 2 confirmed measurement invariance across genders. Women showed lower latent SOBBS Factor 1 than men, with no gender difference on latent Factor 2. Across studies, the SOBBS demonstrated good concurrent validity, convergent validity, internal consistency and test-retest reliability for both genders, in addition to differentiation by sexual objectification experience. The psychometric properties of the Self-Objectification Questionnaire (Noll & Fredrickson, 1998) and the Objectified Body Consciousness Body Surveillance Scale (McKinley & Hyde, 1996) were also explored. Both scale scores were differentiated by gender after controlling for sexual objectification experience, suggesting that scores on these scales may be subject to gender-based measurement bias. Overall, the current research contributes to the evidence-base for effective measurement of self-objectification in men, indicating that the SOBBS is psychometrically sound for use not only in cisgender heterosexual women, but also in cisgender heterosexual men.