A systematic review of the relationship between trait self-objectification and personality traits

People who internalize an observer's perspective of their bodies are understood to experience 'self-objectification', a process which is associated with increased risk of poor body image, depression, and eating disorders. The aim of this paper is to systematically review the literature which has explored the relationship between trait self-objectification and personality traits. Five databases were searched and records were included for review if they: (a) used quantitative methodologies; (b) were published before March 2018, inclusive; (c) were published in a peer-reviewed journal, and; (d) were available in English language. The search yielded a total of 2636 unique articles: 16 studies within 15 articles met all inclusion criteria. The results were collated using narrative synthesis. Self-objectification was most consistently and positively associated with neuroticism, perfectionism, and narcissism across multiple studies. Insufficient research was available to draw conclusions regarding the relationship between self-objectification and other personality traits, and sex moderation effects were indeterminate. Clinical applications and theoretical implications are discussed.