Validation of the Chinese Version of the Self-Objectification Beliefs and Behaviors Scale

Given the limitations of the existing tools used for measuring self-objectification in China, this study aims to validate the Chinese version of the self-objectification beliefs and behaviors scale (C-SOBBS). In this study, we first translated and culturally adopted SOBBS to the Chinese context. We conducted two wave surveys. In the first-wave survey, we recruited 331 female college students whose age ranged from 18 to 35 (Mage=20.28, SD=2.99) to complete an online survey that included demographic questions, C-SOBBS, and four other scales to assess the validity of C-SOBBS. In the second-wave survey, 76 participants who took part in the first-wave survey completed the C-SOBBS at a two-week interval for the assessment of test-retest stability. A confirmatory factor analysis was performed to validate the factor structure of the C-SOBBS. The relationship between the C-SOBBS, its factors, and four other measures demonstrated that the C-SOBBS has a convergent and discriminant validity. Furthermore, the results of hierarchical multiple regression demonstrated the C-SOBBS’s incremental validity related to the Female Questionnaire of Trait Self-Objectification and Objectified Body Consciousness-Surveillance subscale. Additionally, the internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the C-SOBBS were also verified. The results of this study demonstrate the utility of the C-SOBBS in assessing the self-objectification beliefs and behaviors of young Chinese women within the context of Chinese culture.

The STEM Pipeline: Do Media and Objectified Body Consciousness Create an Early Exit for Middle School Girls?

Girls and women are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Research has investigated various explanatory factors (e.g., lack of role models, sexism) in these patterns. However, to date, the roles of media use and body concerns have not been examined. This study investigated associations among appearance-focused social media behaviors (e.g., posting photos), objectified body consciousness (i.e., body shame, body surveillance), and attitudes toward math and science (i.e., self-expectancy, task value, cost, future plans) in a sample of U.S. middle school girls ( N = 243). Results demonstrated that body shame partially mediated associations between appearance-focused social media behaviors and math and science attitudes. These findings suggest that media use and body concerns have implications for girls’ involvement in STEM fields.

Predictors of Non-Surgical Cosmetic Procedure Consideration among Indonesians

The non-surgical cosmetic procedure is defined by ISAPS as an effective and safer procedure for people that want a more subtle improvement, enhancing surgical results or minimize recovery time of a procedure, which often does not require extensive training to perform compared to the surgical sector as it has higher risks. ISAPS reported that the number of non-surgical cosmetic procedures has increased 51.4% from 2011 and 2017. Despite this growth, little is known about factors that prompt the willingness to consider non-surgical cosmetic procedures. Addressing this issue, this study focuses on facets of objectified body consciousness (i.e., body surveillance, body shame, appearance anxiety) and tripartite influence model features (i.e., appearance pressure, internalization through comparison, body dissatisfaction) combined with the Theory of Planned Behavior (i.e., attitude and intention) towards considerations of non-surgical cosmetic procedures. The study is conducted through online quantitative questionnares adopted from previous researches, on a sample size of 271 Indonesians based on Cochran’s formula, specifically those living in Jakarta. In line with previous research on similar practices of beauty industry (e.g., cosmetic surgery), analyses indicated that non-surgical cosmetic procedure consideration was related to the objectified body consciousness and most of the tripartite influence features. Findings highlighted that body shame and facial appearance concern is the strongest predictor. These findings will be able to help marketers to account for variability in willingness to consider non-surgical cosmetic procedure and aligned their strategies accordingly and effectively.