Income inequality heightens status anxiety and self-objectification across genders

Two new studies, published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, suggest that heightened income inequality and concerns about social status may lead both men and women to prioritize their appearance over other aspects of their lives. This phenomenon, known as self-objectification, involves viewing oneself primarily through the lens of physical appearance, akin to how one might observe another's body.

Previous research has linked self-objectification with body shame, appearance anxiety, depression, and eating disorders. Traditionally, this behavior has been more commonly attributed to women in societies with unequal gender relations, but recent findings indicate that men also experience self-objectification. The researchers believe economic disparities might offer another explanation: when the gap between rich and poor becomes starkly apparent, people may become more concerned about their social rank, and use their appearance to assert their value or success.

Led by Khandis Blake from the University of Melbourne, the study involved two online experiments with a total of 1,458 participants. In the first experiment, 468 university students (339 females, with an average age of 20.86 years) were presented with various income distributions in a fictional society called Bimboola. These individuals were then asked to choose a house, car, phone, and holiday that aligned with their assigned income level.

Following this, they answered questions regarding their concerns related to appearance, wealth, education, career, parenting, and life achievements. Crucially, participants who were exposed to greater income inequality reported experiencing more self-objectification. This phenomenon also heightened anxiety about material wealth, career success, education, and overall life achievements.

However, it's important to note that inequality did not increase anxiety specifically about appearance, suggesting that the root cause of self-objectification in unequal environments is not concern over physical appearance, but rather anxiety about socioeconomic standing. In the second experiment, involving 990 participants (581 females, with an average age of 24.84 years), participants were asked to consider different scenarios of career success, success through social media fame, or neither.

The research revealed that income inequality increased self-objectification, but the type of success participants envisioned had a more significant impact. Career success reduced self-objectification compared to the control condition, whereas success achieved through appearance increased it substantially, even though participants reported feeling more confident about their attractiveness.

Interestingly, manipulating status concerns did not diminish the effect of inequality on self-objectification, suggesting that these two factors may independently contribute to this behavior. Additionally, success based on appearance made participants feel more successful in unrelated areas, thereby decreasing concerns about wealth and overall life achievements.

This may explain why status-seeking based on appearance remains appealing: attaining an image of success can enhance one's overall social standing. However, it also increased anxiety about education and parenting. On the other hand, career success reduced concerns across a broader range of areas, including wealth, education, and life achievements, although it also heightened anxiety related to parenting.

The findings were consistent for both men and women. The researchers concluded that recognizing status concerns as a driving force behind self-objectification, for both genders, can help explain its persistence despite the weakening of patriarchal norms. The study, titled "Income inequality and status concerns in multiple life domains increase self-objectification for both women and men," was authored by Khandis Blake, Marta Kowal, Brock Bastian, Jacob Kuek, Auguste Harrington, Sylvia Harmon-Jones, and Robert C. Brooks.