Sexualizing reality television: Associations with trait and state self-objectification

• Study 1: An online survey study in 495 women was conducted.
• Study 1: Watching sexualizing reality TV predicted trait self-objectification.
• Study 2: A daily experience study in 94 women was conducted.
• Study 2: Watching sexualizing reality TV predicted the valuing of appearance.

Two studies combining cross-sectional and daily experience methods tested whether watching sexualizing reality television is associated with self-objectification in women. In Study 1, an online survey of 495 undergraduate women, we demonstrated that watching sexualizing reality television was associated with higher levels of trait self-objectification. In Study 2, an online daily experience study of 94 undergraduate women, we extended the results from Study 1 by focusing on state self-objectification and showed that changes in daily exposure to sexualizing reality television correspond to fluctuations in the importance participants attached to appearance, but were unrelated to the importance attached to body-competence. The results of these two studies with multiple methods provide support for the influence of exposure to sexualizing reality television to the development of an objectified self-concept but also underline differences in how exposure to sexualizing reality television relates to trait and state self-objectification.