Exposure to Income Inequality on Social Media and Female Self-Objectification: The Mediating Role of Perceived Competitiveness

Feng Yang; Haiyan Zhang; Zhiyi Lin; Tianning Zhang; Xiaotong Liu

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ajap.20231206.11

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Exposure to Income Inequality on Social Media and Female Self-Objectification: The Mediating Role of Perceived Competitiveness

Feng Yang^*, Haiyan Zhang, Zhiyi Lin, Tianning Zhang, Xiaotong Liu

Published in American Journal of Applied Psychology (Volume 12, Issue 6)

Received: 25 October 2023 Accepted: 9 November 2023 Published: 17 November 2023

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Abstract

Female self-objectification refers to a phenomenon that women tend to overemphasize the importance of physical appearance in their self-worth. An increasing body of research suggests that engaging in appearance-relevant activities on social media platforms will contribute to the self-objectification of women (e.g., viewing selfies). From an evolutionary psychology perspective, attractive appearance will help women get more advantages in social competition. And recent research has demonstrated income inequality has a close connection with perceived competition and perceived competition had a close connection with female-self-objectification, thus indicating the possible connection between income inequality and female self-objectification. However, so far, little research has been conducted to examine the relationship between income inequality and female self-objectification. Given that, by using an online questionnaire survey, with 120 young female adults as participants, the present research firstly examined the relationship between income inequality exposure on social media and female self-objectification, and the possibly mediating role of perceived competition. The results showed that income inequality exposure on social media did not have a direct prediction on female self-objectification, but income inequality exposure has an indirect effect on female self-objectification via the mediating role of perceived competition. That is, income inequality exposure was significantly and positively related to perceived competition, β = 0.30, p < 0.001, and perceived competition was further related to female self-objectification, β = 0.49, p < 0.001. The present research firstly examined the relationship between income inequality exposure and female self-objectification, which enrich the understanding of how income inequality perception on the psychological level affected the self-concept of women.

Published in	American Journal of Applied Psychology (Volume 12, Issue 6)
DOI	10.11648/j.ajap.20231206.11
Page(s)	136-143
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Income Inequality, Social Media, Feminism, Self-Objectification, Media Psychology

References

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APA Style

Yang, F., Zhang, H., Lin, Z., Zhang, T., Liu, X. (2023). Exposure to Income Inequality on Social Media and Female Self-Objectification: The Mediating Role of Perceived Competitiveness. American Journal of Applied Psychology, 12(6), 136-143. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20231206.11

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ACS Style

Yang, F.; Zhang, H.; Lin, Z.; Zhang, T.; Liu, X. Exposure to Income Inequality on Social Media and Female Self-Objectification: The Mediating Role of Perceived Competitiveness. Am. J. Appl. Psychol. 2023, 12(6), 136-143. doi: 10.11648/j.ajap.20231206.11

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AMA Style

Yang F, Zhang H, Lin Z, Zhang T, Liu X. Exposure to Income Inequality on Social Media and Female Self-Objectification: The Mediating Role of Perceived Competitiveness. Am J Appl Psychol. 2023;12(6):136-143. doi: 10.11648/j.ajap.20231206.11

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@article{10.11648/j.ajap.20231206.11,
  author = {Feng Yang and Haiyan Zhang and Zhiyi Lin and Tianning Zhang and Xiaotong Liu},
  title = {Exposure to Income Inequality on Social Media and Female Self-Objectification: The Mediating Role of Perceived Competitiveness},
  journal = {American Journal of Applied Psychology},
  volume = {12},
  number = {6},
  pages = {136-143},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ajap.20231206.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20231206.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajap.20231206.11},
  abstract = {Female self-objectification refers to a phenomenon that women tend to overemphasize the importance of physical appearance in their self-worth. An increasing body of research suggests that engaging in appearance-relevant activities on social media platforms will contribute to the self-objectification of women (e.g., viewing selfies). From an evolutionary psychology perspective, attractive appearance will help women get more advantages in social competition. And recent research has demonstrated income inequality has a close connection with perceived competition and perceived competition had a close connection with female-self-objectification, thus indicating the possible connection between income inequality and female self-objectification. However, so far, little research has been conducted to examine the relationship between income inequality and female self-objectification. Given that, by using an online questionnaire survey, with 120 young female adults as participants, the present research firstly examined the relationship between income inequality exposure on social media and female self-objectification, and the possibly mediating role of perceived competition. The results showed that income inequality exposure on social media did not have a direct prediction on female self-objectification, but income inequality exposure has an indirect effect on female self-objectification via the mediating role of perceived competition. That is, income inequality exposure was significantly and positively related to perceived competition, β = 0.30, p β = 0.49, p < 0.001. The present research firstly examined the relationship between income inequality exposure and female self-objectification, which enrich the understanding of how income inequality perception on the psychological level affected the self-concept of women.
},
 year = {2023}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Exposure to Income Inequality on Social Media and Female Self-Objectification: The Mediating Role of Perceived Competitiveness
AU  - Feng Yang
AU  - Haiyan Zhang
AU  - Zhiyi Lin
AU  - Tianning Zhang
AU  - Xiaotong Liu
Y1  - 2023/11/17
PY  - 2023
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20231206.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.ajap.20231206.11
T2  - American Journal of Applied Psychology
JF  - American Journal of Applied Psychology
JO  - American Journal of Applied Psychology
SP  - 136
EP  - 143
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2328-5672
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20231206.11
AB  - Female self-objectification refers to a phenomenon that women tend to overemphasize the importance of physical appearance in their self-worth. An increasing body of research suggests that engaging in appearance-relevant activities on social media platforms will contribute to the self-objectification of women (e.g., viewing selfies). From an evolutionary psychology perspective, attractive appearance will help women get more advantages in social competition. And recent research has demonstrated income inequality has a close connection with perceived competition and perceived competition had a close connection with female-self-objectification, thus indicating the possible connection between income inequality and female self-objectification. However, so far, little research has been conducted to examine the relationship between income inequality and female self-objectification. Given that, by using an online questionnaire survey, with 120 young female adults as participants, the present research firstly examined the relationship between income inequality exposure on social media and female self-objectification, and the possibly mediating role of perceived competition. The results showed that income inequality exposure on social media did not have a direct prediction on female self-objectification, but income inequality exposure has an indirect effect on female self-objectification via the mediating role of perceived competition. That is, income inequality exposure was significantly and positively related to perceived competition, β = 0.30, p β = 0.49, p < 0.001. The present research firstly examined the relationship between income inequality exposure and female self-objectification, which enrich the understanding of how income inequality perception on the psychological level affected the self-concept of women.

VL  - 12
IS  - 6
ER  -

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Author Information

Feng Yang

Department of Teacher Education, Taishan University, Tai’an, China

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Haiyan Zhang

Department of Teacher Education, Taishan University, Tai’an, China

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Zhiyi Lin

Department of Teacher Education, Taishan University, Tai’an, China

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Tianning Zhang

Department of Teacher Education, Taishan University, Tai’an, China

Contact Email
Xiaotong Liu

Department of Teacher Education, Taishan University, Tai’an, China

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APA Style

Yang, F., Zhang, H., Lin, Z., Zhang, T., Liu, X. (2023). Exposure to Income Inequality on Social Media and Female Self-Objectification: The Mediating Role of Perceived Competitiveness. American Journal of Applied Psychology, 12(6), 136-143. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20231206.11

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ACS Style

Yang, F.; Zhang, H.; Lin, Z.; Zhang, T.; Liu, X. Exposure to Income Inequality on Social Media and Female Self-Objectification: The Mediating Role of Perceived Competitiveness. Am. J. Appl. Psychol. 2023, 12(6), 136-143. doi: 10.11648/j.ajap.20231206.11

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AMA Style

Yang F, Zhang H, Lin Z, Zhang T, Liu X. Exposure to Income Inequality on Social Media and Female Self-Objectification: The Mediating Role of Perceived Competitiveness. Am J Appl Psychol. 2023;12(6):136-143. doi: 10.11648/j.ajap.20231206.11

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.ajap.20231206.11,
  author = {Feng Yang and Haiyan Zhang and Zhiyi Lin and Tianning Zhang and Xiaotong Liu},
  title = {Exposure to Income Inequality on Social Media and Female Self-Objectification: The Mediating Role of Perceived Competitiveness},
  journal = {American Journal of Applied Psychology},
  volume = {12},
  number = {6},
  pages = {136-143},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ajap.20231206.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20231206.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajap.20231206.11},
  abstract = {Female self-objectification refers to a phenomenon that women tend to overemphasize the importance of physical appearance in their self-worth. An increasing body of research suggests that engaging in appearance-relevant activities on social media platforms will contribute to the self-objectification of women (e.g., viewing selfies). From an evolutionary psychology perspective, attractive appearance will help women get more advantages in social competition. And recent research has demonstrated income inequality has a close connection with perceived competition and perceived competition had a close connection with female-self-objectification, thus indicating the possible connection between income inequality and female self-objectification. However, so far, little research has been conducted to examine the relationship between income inequality and female self-objectification. Given that, by using an online questionnaire survey, with 120 young female adults as participants, the present research firstly examined the relationship between income inequality exposure on social media and female self-objectification, and the possibly mediating role of perceived competition. The results showed that income inequality exposure on social media did not have a direct prediction on female self-objectification, but income inequality exposure has an indirect effect on female self-objectification via the mediating role of perceived competition. That is, income inequality exposure was significantly and positively related to perceived competition, β = 0.30, p β = 0.49, p < 0.001. The present research firstly examined the relationship between income inequality exposure and female self-objectification, which enrich the understanding of how income inequality perception on the psychological level affected the self-concept of women.
},
 year = {2023}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Exposure to Income Inequality on Social Media and Female Self-Objectification: The Mediating Role of Perceived Competitiveness
AU  - Feng Yang
AU  - Haiyan Zhang
AU  - Zhiyi Lin
AU  - Tianning Zhang
AU  - Xiaotong Liu
Y1  - 2023/11/17
PY  - 2023
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20231206.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.ajap.20231206.11
T2  - American Journal of Applied Psychology
JF  - American Journal of Applied Psychology
JO  - American Journal of Applied Psychology
SP  - 136
EP  - 143
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2328-5672
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajap.20231206.11
AB  - Female self-objectification refers to a phenomenon that women tend to overemphasize the importance of physical appearance in their self-worth. An increasing body of research suggests that engaging in appearance-relevant activities on social media platforms will contribute to the self-objectification of women (e.g., viewing selfies). From an evolutionary psychology perspective, attractive appearance will help women get more advantages in social competition. And recent research has demonstrated income inequality has a close connection with perceived competition and perceived competition had a close connection with female-self-objectification, thus indicating the possible connection between income inequality and female self-objectification. However, so far, little research has been conducted to examine the relationship between income inequality and female self-objectification. Given that, by using an online questionnaire survey, with 120 young female adults as participants, the present research firstly examined the relationship between income inequality exposure on social media and female self-objectification, and the possibly mediating role of perceived competition. The results showed that income inequality exposure on social media did not have a direct prediction on female self-objectification, but income inequality exposure has an indirect effect on female self-objectification via the mediating role of perceived competition. That is, income inequality exposure was significantly and positively related to perceived competition, β = 0.30, p β = 0.49, p < 0.001. The present research firstly examined the relationship between income inequality exposure and female self-objectification, which enrich the understanding of how income inequality perception on the psychological level affected the self-concept of women.

VL  - 12
IS  - 6
ER  -

Copy | Download