Reveal or conceal your body? Differential manifestations of self-objectification are related to different patterns for women

Abstract

Body concealment, namely the attitudes and strategies specifically aimed at avoiding the other’s gaze towards one’s body, is here advanced as a relevant manifestation of chronic self-objectification. We juxtapose it to body exposure, that is the pursuit of being the object of others’ gaze. Three validation studies conducted in Italy (Studies 1 and 2) and the UK (Study 3), and an additional focus group, showed that body concealment and exposure are distinct responses, both positively linked to self-objectification. Importantly, distinct dimensions of self-objectification were associated with body concealment and body exposure: the internalization of the observer's perspective was linked to body concealment via body shame; the internalization of objectifying ideals, instead, was associated with greater exposure (Study 4, Italy). Notably, body concealment, but not body exposure, was related to health issues typically linked to self-objectification, such as depression and disordered eating (Study 5, UK). Together, these studies (N_total = 2853) introduce body concealment as a new phenomenon within the sexual objectification framework, distinct from body exposure. From a theoretical perspective, this distinction reconciles seemingly contradictory evidence. From an applied point of view, body concealment has specific negative implications for women's well-being, deserving the attention of scholars and practitioners.