For many women, the very thought of trying on a bathing suit can result in feelings of self-objectification, shame and dissatisfaction.
Researcher Marika Tiggemann explored the relationship between clothing and self-esteem in her article, ‘Clothes Make a Difference: The Role of Self-Objectification.’ She found that for a number of women, the thought of wearing a bathing suit led to a greater state of self-objectification – a feeling that one is no longer a whole person but merely a physical object that can be evaluated, according to the article.
Compared to the thought of wearing jeans and a sweater, women felt more dissatisfaction and unhappiness when imagining themselves in a bathing suit, according to the article. This was especially true for heavier women.
‘A woman’s body image is typically negative of themselves,’ said Jeanne Denti, a professor of psychology at Syracuse University. ‘A bathing suit is the skimpiest thing one can wear and it can make a woman feel like they are not measuring up.’
Chloe Guillemot, a freshman public relations major, said she agrees that women often feel badly about themselves when trying on bathing suits due to the unflattering fluorescent lighting in dressing rooms and the revealing nature of bathing suits.
‘It’s based on your own perception and what mood you are in that day,’ Guillemot said. ‘For example, did you start with a jog and ate healthy and you’re feeling good, or did you start out eating a donut and had a mocha?’
A study that surveyed 102 South Australian female undergraduates found a link between clothing and self-objectification, according to the article.
Participants completed a questionnaire that measured their level of self-objectification, mood, feelings about their bodies and body dissatisfaction after being placed in four different scenarios. The four scenarios were: wearing a bathing suit on a beach, wearing a bathing suit in a dressing room, wearing a sweater and jeans on a beach and wearing a sweater and jeans in a dressing room, according to the article.
Researchers found that self-objectification is an internalized perspective that is worsened by a number of potentially objectifying features in dressing rooms such as mirrors, bright lighting and the demand for women to engage in close evaluations of their bodies, according to the article.
Tibor Palfai, a psychology professor at SU, said one’s mood and level of self-objectification depends on the person.
‘I know several people that have no problem putting on a bathing suit,’ said Palfai. ‘Thinking that you are self-objectified, it’s in your mind. Most problems originate in your head and not in reality.’
As hypothesized, the private dressing room scenarios led to a greater state of self-objectification but a more positive mood than the public scenarios. However, women said they were more likely to self-objectify when wearing a swimsuit in a dressing room, compared with wearing one in public, according to the article.
Denti, the psychology professor, said she is not surprised that a dressing room can cause more vulnerability than when someone is in public.
‘We feel worse about ourselves when we are focusing on ourselves. In public, our attention moves to the environment and other people,’ Denti said. ‘When we are more focused on other people, in truth, the happier we are.’
kfluttma@syr.edu