Research: Men see bikini-clad women as objects, psychologists say
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/02/19/wom…
There's a prediction offered near the end that would make for one really interesting experiment. Good luck finding guys to participate...
--- Full Article Text ---
Men see bikini-clad women as objects, psychologists say
By Elizabeth Landau
Story Highlights:
- Men: Brain areas linked with handling tools respond to images of women in bikinis
- They also remember these women's bodies better than those of fully-clothed women
- Future research could look at if women depersonalize men in certain situations
CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) -- It may seem obvious that men perceive women in sexy bathing suits as objects, but now there's science to back it up.
[Photo Caption] Images of women in bikinis prompted brain responses in men associated with using tools.
New research shows that, in men, the brain areas associated with handling tools and the intention to perform actions light up when viewing images of women in bikinis.
The research was presented this week by Susan Fiske, professor of psychology at Princeton University, at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
"This is just the first study which was focused on the idea that men of a certain age view sex as a highly desirable goal, and if you present them with a provocative woman, then that will tend to prime goal-related responses," she told CNN.
Although consistent with conventional wisdom, the way that men may depersonalize sexual images of women is not entirely something they control. In fact, it's a byproduct of human evolution, experts say. The first male humans had an incentive to seek fertile women as the means of spreading their genes.
"They're not fully conscious responses, and so people don't know the extent to which they're being influenced," Fiske said. "It's important to recognize the effects."
The participants, 21 heterosexual male undergraduates at Princeton, took questionnaires to determine whether they harbor "benevolent" sexism, which includes the belief that a woman's place is in the home, or hostile sexism, a more adversarial viewpoint which includes the belief that women attempt to dominate men.
In the men who scored highest on hostile sexism, the part of the brain associated with analyzing another person's thoughts, feelings and intentions was inactive while viewing scantily clad women, Fiske said. Visit CNNHealth.com, your connection for better living
Men also remember these women's bodies better than those of fully-clothed women, Fiske said. Each image was shown for only a fraction of a second.
This study looked specifically at men, and did not test women's responses to similar images.
A supplementary study on both male and female undergraduates found that men tend to associate bikini-clad women with first-person action verbs such as I "push," "handle" and "grab" instead of the third-person forms such as she "pushes," "handles" and "grabs." They associated fully clothed women, on the other hand, with the third-person forms, indicating these women were perceived as in control of their own actions. The females who took the test did not show this effect, Fiske said.
The findings are consistent with previous work in the field, and resonate, for example, with the abundance of female strip clubs in comparison to male strip clubs, said Dr. Charles Raison, psychiatrist and director of the Mind/Body Institute at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Raison was not involved in the study.
Previous research found that people tend to similarly dehumanize those who are homeless or drug addicts, although the phenomenon in this case is somewhat different, Fiske said. People have reactions of avoidance toward the homeless and drug addicts, and the opposite for scantily clad women.
The broader purpose of the research was to explore circumstances under which people treat one another as the means to an end, Fiske said.
Past studies have also shown that when men view images of highly sexualized women, and then interact with a woman in a separate setting, they are more likely to have sexual words on their minds, she said. They are also more likely to remember the woman's physical appearance, and sit closer to her -- for instance, at a job interview.
Taken together, the research suggests that viewing certain images is not appropriate in the workplace, Fiske said.
"I'm not advocating censorship, but I do think people need to know what settings should discourage the display and possession of these kinds of things," she said.
Both women and men have something to learn from this line of research, Raison said. Women should be aware of how they are perceived when wearing provocative clothing, and men shouldn't let feelings of impersonal sexual longing interfere with their more personal relationships with other women, including female friends. "Many men make foolish choices because of sexual attraction," he said.
"The suggestion might be that there's some hard-wiring there that can interfere with the average man's ability to interact on deeper levels with really hot looking stranger women in bikinis," he said.
Women may also depersonalize men in certain situations, but published research on the subject has not been done, experts say. Evolutionary psychology would theorize that men view women as objects in terms of their youth and apparent fertility, while women might view men as instrumental in terms of their status and resources, Fiske said.
Another avenue to explore would be showing images of men's wives and girlfriends in bikinis, Raison said. He predicts the objectifying effect would not happen in this context.
There's a prediction offered near the end that would make for one really interesting experiment. Good luck finding guys to participate...
--- Full Article Text ---
Men see bikini-clad women as objects, psychologists say
By Elizabeth Landau
Story Highlights:
- Men: Brain areas linked with handling tools respond to images of women in bikinis
- They also remember these women's bodies better than those of fully-clothed women
- Future research could look at if women depersonalize men in certain situations
CHICAGO, Illinois (CNN) -- It may seem obvious that men perceive women in sexy bathing suits as objects, but now there's science to back it up.
[Photo Caption] Images of women in bikinis prompted brain responses in men associated with using tools.
New research shows that, in men, the brain areas associated with handling tools and the intention to perform actions light up when viewing images of women in bikinis.
The research was presented this week by Susan Fiske, professor of psychology at Princeton University, at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
"This is just the first study which was focused on the idea that men of a certain age view sex as a highly desirable goal, and if you present them with a provocative woman, then that will tend to prime goal-related responses," she told CNN.
Although consistent with conventional wisdom, the way that men may depersonalize sexual images of women is not entirely something they control. In fact, it's a byproduct of human evolution, experts say. The first male humans had an incentive to seek fertile women as the means of spreading their genes.
"They're not fully conscious responses, and so people don't know the extent to which they're being influenced," Fiske said. "It's important to recognize the effects."
The participants, 21 heterosexual male undergraduates at Princeton, took questionnaires to determine whether they harbor "benevolent" sexism, which includes the belief that a woman's place is in the home, or hostile sexism, a more adversarial viewpoint which includes the belief that women attempt to dominate men.
In the men who scored highest on hostile sexism, the part of the brain associated with analyzing another person's thoughts, feelings and intentions was inactive while viewing scantily clad women, Fiske said. Visit CNNHealth.com, your connection for better living
Men also remember these women's bodies better than those of fully-clothed women, Fiske said. Each image was shown for only a fraction of a second.
This study looked specifically at men, and did not test women's responses to similar images.
A supplementary study on both male and female undergraduates found that men tend to associate bikini-clad women with first-person action verbs such as I "push," "handle" and "grab" instead of the third-person forms such as she "pushes," "handles" and "grabs." They associated fully clothed women, on the other hand, with the third-person forms, indicating these women were perceived as in control of their own actions. The females who took the test did not show this effect, Fiske said.
The findings are consistent with previous work in the field, and resonate, for example, with the abundance of female strip clubs in comparison to male strip clubs, said Dr. Charles Raison, psychiatrist and director of the Mind/Body Institute at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Raison was not involved in the study.
Previous research found that people tend to similarly dehumanize those who are homeless or drug addicts, although the phenomenon in this case is somewhat different, Fiske said. People have reactions of avoidance toward the homeless and drug addicts, and the opposite for scantily clad women.
The broader purpose of the research was to explore circumstances under which people treat one another as the means to an end, Fiske said.
Past studies have also shown that when men view images of highly sexualized women, and then interact with a woman in a separate setting, they are more likely to have sexual words on their minds, she said. They are also more likely to remember the woman's physical appearance, and sit closer to her -- for instance, at a job interview.
Taken together, the research suggests that viewing certain images is not appropriate in the workplace, Fiske said.
"I'm not advocating censorship, but I do think people need to know what settings should discourage the display and possession of these kinds of things," she said.
Both women and men have something to learn from this line of research, Raison said. Women should be aware of how they are perceived when wearing provocative clothing, and men shouldn't let feelings of impersonal sexual longing interfere with their more personal relationships with other women, including female friends. "Many men make foolish choices because of sexual attraction," he said.
"The suggestion might be that there's some hard-wiring there that can interfere with the average man's ability to interact on deeper levels with really hot looking stranger women in bikinis," he said.
Women may also depersonalize men in certain situations, but published research on the subject has not been done, experts say. Evolutionary psychology would theorize that men view women as objects in terms of their youth and apparent fertility, while women might view men as instrumental in terms of their status and resources, Fiske said.
Another avenue to explore would be showing images of men's wives and girlfriends in bikinis, Raison said. He predicts the objectifying effect would not happen in this context.
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31 comments
My response to everything except the last paragraph: No shit.
My response to the last paragraph: Uh, I don't think so. I'd probably jerk off to them too, I just wouldn't tell them.
Women-see men and think dollars = shopping = fun
A couple of times I've had strippers say "I remember you", but actually I only remembered them once I saw her tits. However, the first thing I notice in a woman I'm interested in is her eyes. I'm deeply offended when I see articles like the above where ALL men are lumped in as insensitive oversexed pigs. The article does tell the truth towards the end where it says women depersonalize men, but no research was done on it. That's because raging feminist man hating psychos would prefer no research be done on women who look at men and see only dollar signs.
show them, as only you can, that the female body is not to be appreciated, but to be feared, reviled and in the case of most of you, kept totally covered at all times.
Al : You'll never guess what I dreamt about at work today!
Peg : Me?
Al : Yes!
Peg : Was I in bed?
Al : Yes! As a matter of fact I'd tied you up!
Peg : Ooh Al, that's so kinky! What were you doing?
Al : Cindy Crawford!
Now wait a second. My pretty teenage daughter with the brain of a fruit-fly earned a thousand dollars in three nights. Should I be worried?
Peggy : Am I getting old, Al?
Al : How do I know? I never look at you.
Peg, you can stab me with knives, you can beat me with clubs, you can make me open my eyes when we're having sex but there's no way on earth you can make me get a second job.
I had a dream last night. A big red haired mosquito in tight pants was hovering over me sucking money out of my wallet.
Peggy : Tell me you love me, Al.
Al : I love football, I love beer, let's not cheapen the meaning of the word.
Peggy : Tell me you love me, Al
Al : Peggy, it hurts my stomach.
Pretty women make us buy beer. Ugly women make us drink beer.
[a pregnant Peggy is sitting up in bed and wolfing down food]
Peggy: Gee Al, I don't know about you, but I'm horny as hell.
Al: Well, so am I, but you don't see me bothering you with it, do you?
Jefferson: So, where's the man who's ready to leave home and go bag some babes?
Al: Right here.
Marcy: Oh please, you couldn't bag your own wife.
Al: No, I could bag her. But it doesn't do me any good. I still remember what she looks like.
Where the music stinks, and they water the drinks, the nudie bar.
Where the girlies dance in their underpants, the nudie bar.
Where you see their butt, and their trap stays shut, at the nudie bar.
Where you can't touch a breast, but you can cave in a chest, at the nudie bar.
Where you look at a thigh, and blacken an eye, at the nudie bar.
Where the beer gives you gas, but the Bundys kick ass, at the nudie bar.
Where a buck's enough to see their stuff, at the nudie bar.
Where the breasts may be fake but man do they shake, at the nudie bar.
Where you swear like a sailor, and wish you could nail her, at the nudie bar.
Where the cops are at the door, and there's a Kennedy on the floor, at the nudie bar.
Where Christmas is nice, and lap dances are half price, at the nudie bar.
Where you drink down the shooters, and unwrap the hooters, at the nudie bar.
Where eggnogs are plenty, and the girls all twenty, at the nudie bar.
Ironhead Haynes' Nine Commandments
1. It's okay to call hooters "knockers" and sometimes "snack trays."
2. It is wrong to be French.
3. It's okay to put all bad people in a giant meat grinder.
4. Lawyers: see rule three.
5. It is okay to drive a gas guzzler if it helps you get babes.
6. Everyone should car pool but me.
7. Bring back the word "stewardesses"
8. Synchronized Swimming is not a sport.
9. Mudwrestling is a sport.
Sex objects: Pictures shift men's view of women
Ian Sample, Chicago, guardian.co.uk, Monday 16 February 2009 13.42 GMT
Men are more likely to think of women as objects if they have looked at sexy pictures of females beforehand, psychologists said yesterday.
Researchers used brain scans to show that when straight men looked at pictures of women in bikinis, areas of the brain that normally light up in anticipation of using tools, like spanners and screwdrivers, were activated.
Scans of some of the men found that a part of the brain associated with empathy for other peoples' emotions and wishes shut down after looking at the pictures.
Susan Fiske, a psychologist at Princeton University in New Jersey, said the changes in brain activity suggest sexy images can shift the way men perceive women, turning them from people to interact with, to objects to act upon.
The finding confirms a long-suspected effect of sexy images on the way women are perceived, and one which persists in workplaces and the wider world today, Fiske said.
"When there are sexualised images in the workplace, it's hard for people not to think about their female colleagues in those terms. It spills over from the images to the workplace," she said.
Speaking at the American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting in Chicago yesterday, Fiske said the findings called into question the impact of sexualised images of women that might be pinned on workplace walls or sent around offices where there was a strong locker-room culture.
"I'm not saying there should be censorship, but people need to be aware of the associations people will have in their minds," Fiske said.
In the study, Fiske's team put straight men into an MRI brain scanner and showed them images of either clothed men and women, or more scantily clad men and women. When they took a memory test afterwards, the men best remembered images of bikini-clad women whose heads had been digitally removed.
The brain scans showed that when men saw the images of the women's bodies, activity increased in part of the brain called the premotor cortex, which is involved in urges to take action. The same area lights up before using power tools to do DIY. "It's as if they immediately thought to act on theses bodies," Fiske said.
In the final part of the study, Fiske asked the men to fill in a questionnaire that was used to assess how sexist they were. The brain scans showed that men who scored highest had very little activity in the prefrontal cortex and other brain regions that are involved with understanding another person's feelings and intentions. "They're reacting to these women as if they're not fully human," Fiske said.
There are some studies on men and the reactions observed while watching rape scenes...very interesting let me see if I can find them...I udsed them for a report in Psychology when I was a freshman so who knows where they are.
"The participants, 21 heterosexual male undergraduates at Princeton"
Yes, that's it. That is her WHOLE SCIENTIFIC SAMPLE. All this scientific crap with LITERALLY NO STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT FINDING, and LITERALLY NO CONTROL GROUP.
WTF. We listen to people like this?
Well, I for one am glad to know that heterosexual males tend to view bikini-clad females the same way we view tools, as objects. Now that we've settled that, I'm going to remind myself that IT'S OK TO TREAT WOMEN LIKE OBJECTS because I'M BIOLOGICALLY PRE-PROGRAMMED TO DO SO.
Make up your mind, little missy. Either you hate men or you study their actual scientific reactions objectively; you can't have both.
Not sure I saw the claim made anywhere that the group used for the study was being billed as a representative sample of the U.S. male population. There was quite a bit of speculation by the presenting researcher (and others) that seemed to roll in a lot of context outside of the actual study itself, though. Each outlet and author had its own spin on it. Looking at the comments above many picked up on that.
What makes science interesting is that, sure, uncle schmo might be able to tell you something that appears to be true (and you might even agree)--but that doesn't mean it is. Science is what eventually lends the idea some credence (or not). Each of us can name things that the average person takes for granted as scientific fact (gravity, for instance) which at some point was all based in theory or mysticism.
Proving that the "obvious" could be true with empirical evidence is still a contribution. The rest is whatever baggage the observers carry around within themselves. What made it news is that it had something to do with men and boobs. The media is good for that. What made it science is that it adds to the body of knowledge, providing guidance for follow on and comparative study to confirm or reject the conclusions drawn.
Or at the very least it makes for good conversation.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/…
--- Full Article Text ---
Bikinis Make Men See Women as Objects, Scans Confirm
Christine Dell'Amore in Chicago
National Geographic News
February 16, 2009
Sexy women in bikinis really do inspire some men to see them as objects, according to a new study of male behavior.
Brain scans revealed that when men are shown pictures of scantily clad women, the region of the brain associated with tool use lights up.
Men were also more likely to associate images of sexualized women with first-person action verbs such as "I push, I grasp, I handle," said lead researcher Susan Fiske, a psychologist at Princeton University.
And in a "shocking" finding, Fiske noted, some of the men studied showed no activity in the part of the brain that usually responds when a person ponders another's intentions.
This means that these men see women "as sexually inviting, but they are not thinking about their minds," Fiske said. "The lack of activation in this social cognition area is really odd, because it hardly ever happens."
Dehumanizing
Fiske and colleagues asked 21 heterosexual male volunteers to first take a test that scores people based on different types of sexist attitudes. The subjects were then shown pictures of both skimpily dressed and fully clothed men and women.
Most of the men best remembered headless photographs of women in bikinis, even if they'd only seen the image for two-tenths of a second, Fiske reported this weekend in Chicago during the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
And the men who scored higher as "hostile sexists"—those who view women as controlling and invaders of male space—didn't show brain activity that indicates they saw the women in bikinis as humans with thoughts and intentions.
Scientists have seen this absence of activation only once before, in a study where people were shown off-putting photographs of homeless people and drug addicts.
(Related: "Sex-Based Roles Gave Modern Humans an Edge, Study Says.")
If a similar study were done with women, Fiske told National Geographic News, it would be hard to predict whether a woman shown a scantily clad male body would dehumanize him in the same way.
Evolutionary psychologists have proposed that women tend to look for mates who have wealth and power, so some of Fiske's colleagues have suggested running a similar test where women are shown pictures of men next to expensive cars or other affluent symbols.
But Fiske doesn't think such an experiment would work the same way, because women usually react to men they desire by "interpreting their minds, thinking about what they're interested in, and then trying to please them," she said.
It is true that I certainly do not relate anywhere near where women are "supposed" to be in these so called studies. And I'm very glad about that, especially in light of the way women are represented. Men don't fair much better, either.
While these little sniglets of fiction can make for amusing reading, they often just re-inforce in alot of people's heads gross generalizations of the sexes. Old, out-of-date misconceptions that just don't ever seem to die off. And they never will as long as this kind of drivel keeps popping up now & again.
And since it's plastered all over the internet....then I guess it MUST be true, huh? ;)
This kind of crap really burns me... Why is it that a human male looking at a human female and wanting to do human things to her that are ingrained in our collective evolution is considered de-humanizing??? Just because most men do not NEED to be emotionally tied to a person to have or want sex with them (can you say lapdance) does not mean we do not consider them human. What the researchers really want to say is that men do not act like women, and that simple fact is enough to be "bad" in their eyes. We should all take a massive dose of estrogen and go shopping I guess - then these dykes might be happy.
Watch the "dyke" remark.
It was inappropriate and offensive.
Truth be told, it would be a straight woman that would more likely think in the way you indicated. Us "dykes" wouldn't give a shit, since we don't typically concern ourselves with female/male interaction. We really don't care what men think about women. We are most likely thinking the same way ourselves, since we are both after the same thing - pussy.
Capisce?
There will always be those that use inappropriate words to label others. I've been called many things on TUSCL, but when I look at the source, I am then happy they do not consider me one like themselves!
I stand duly chastised. I should have said "manhater" which was what I really meant - you are correct, they are more likely to be straight.
This from an admitted racist...ugh...
no harm, no foul :)
Only in your "mind", only in your "mind"!
LOL...keep trying to backpeddle from the words that you freely wrote on this site clubber...you old racist fool...you're utterly pathetic at this point...
There is nothing I have written that proves I am a racist. It would be impossible to prove in any case, since I am not even close to being one!
Once again...
Only in your "mind", only in your "mind"!
LOL...you old, lying racist...try this on for size:
"You can't raise the black man to the level of the white man, but you can lower the white man to the level of the black man."
AND
"In recent years, the black population, as well as other minorities, have been given incredible opportunities to succeed, often at the expense of the majority, and certainly the taxpayers."
Sure, sure...those statement aren't racist...in the mind of someone that IS a racist that is! Man 'o man...you make it sooo easy you old fool...give it up...
And just how is the second of your imaginary racist statements racist? Ever hear of Affirmative Action, or the lowering of standards to admit minorities into colleges and certain jobs? Or how about the wonderful problem we are dealing with now when the federal government FORCED banks and lenders to give out mortgages the banks knew were incredibly risky. Of course the government knew as well, but that HAD to be done, as I stated, for minorities at the expense of taxpayers. Or likely you think there is a money tree! Of course you haven't.
Which again proves, you are only good for a laugh!
BTW, I tire of banging my head against you ROCK head. Of course you can now do your standard "runaway" routine that you dredge out when people tire of your idiocy! i wish you no malice. Have a wonderful life!
...which YOU agreed with you RACIST...does this sound familiar:
"I can say that at the time I did not agree with him, but history has proved him correct to this point in time."
"And just how is the second of your imaginary racist statements racist? Ever hear of Affirmative Action, or the lowering of standards to admit minorities into colleges and certain jobs? Or how about the wonderful problem we are dealing with now when the federal government FORCED banks and lenders to give out mortgages the banks knew were incredibly risky."
And once again, all you have to try & "defend" your blatantly RACIST statements & beliefs is more empty-headed, Right-wing nonsense.
Affirmative action is merely a set of policies that take gender, race, or ethnicity into account in an attempt to promote equal opportunity, which is *supposively* what you have stated in the past ("only equal opportunities are guaranteed") that you are in favor of moron. The focus of such policies range from employment & public contracting to educational outreach & health programs. The impetus towards affirmative action is to maximize the benefits of diversity in all levels of society and to redress disadvantages due to overt, institutional, or involuntary discrimination (like from people like YOU clubber). Affirmative action does NOT invlove "lowering standards", period end of story.
Also, it is a Right-wing LIE that "the federal government FORCED banks and lenders to give out mortgages the banks knew were incredibly risky"...nothing could be further from the truth about how the financial mess in this country was started:
"Private sector loans, not Fannie or Freddie, triggered crisis"
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/story/538…
"the CRA Didn't Cause the Housing Bubble"
http://economicsofcontempt.blogspot.com/…
"The Bubble Economy: The sub-prime mess, the huge risks taken by hedge funds, and the conflicts of interest that led to Enron are all the consequences of serial bouts of financial deregulation"
http://www.prospect.org/cs/articles?arti…
"100 Year Crash: McCain advisor spurred $62 trillion derivatives market that will swamp global markets"
http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2008/09/15…
"BTW, I tire of banging my head against you ROCK head. Of course you can now do your standard 'runaway' routine that you dredge out when people tire of your idiocy! i wish you no malice. Have a wonderful life!"
LOL...exactly how many times have you stated something like this before clubber...only to return again another day to be completely & totally owned by the likes of me & many others on this board?? When are you going to learn to shut your big, fat, racist, lying mouth once & for all?? We all await that day with GREAT anticipation!