Development and Psychometric Evaluation of the Interpersonal Sexual Objectification Scale

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2005-06

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The Ohio State University

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Abstract

Research exploring objectification theory (B.L. Fredrickson & T.A. Roberts, 1997) is abundant, yet there is not an instrument available that assesses women’s perceived frequency to which they encounter interpersonal sexual objectification. Therefore, such a measure, the Interpersonal Sexual Objectification Scale (ISOS), was developed and evaluated via three independent samples of college women. Study 1 (N = 327) supported the construct validity of the ISOS, as it was strongly related to another form of sexism (i.e., sexist discrimination), and was slightly-to-moderately related to constructs represented in objectification theory (i.e., self-objectification and its common forms [body surveillance, internalization of the thin-ideal, body comparison], appearance anxiety, and body shame). Study 2 (N = 79) supported the ISOS’s discriminant validity, as it was negligibly related to impression management and unrelated to self-deceptive enhancement. Study 3 (N = 131) demonstrated that its scores were consistent over a three-week period. All studies supported the internal consistency reliability of its scores. The ISOS should prove useful in future research on interpersonal sexual objectification and exploring the constructs of objectification theory.

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objectification theory, self-objectification, measure, sexual objectification, interpersonal

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