The current study examined how people's tendency to associate women with sex affects their judgements about their abilities and merits. In general, sexualization is defined as an attribution of sexual connotations to non-sexual stimuli. In this context, sexualization can be understood as a process that involves linking a woman's appearance or behavior with sexual traits. Researchers have suggested that sexualization may contribute to negative perceptions and evaluations of women due to stereotypes about sexualized women being associated with lower competence and intelligence than those who are less objectified.
It is possible that perceptions of competence and merit are modified by factors other than gender-related stereotypes. The present research hypothesized that the association between women's perceived level of sexualization and their perceived competence would be stronger when individuals were asked to evaluate the same individual under different conditions. Specifically, participants viewed images depicting female celebrities and rated them for perceived attractiveness, intelligence, and professional achievement. They then compared these ratings against ratings made in a separate condition where they had been provided with different information regarding each celebrity's occupational status and past accomplishments.
We tested whether such effects were moderated by gender role orientation (gendered-role orientation vs. ungendered-role orientation).
We investigated whether the effect was independent from stereotype threat. Results showed that when individuals were primed to think about women as having a strong feminine identity, their perceptions of women were more likely to be influenced by the degree to which they were perceived to be sexually desirable. We found no support for an interaction between gender role orientation and sexualization, but there was some evidence for a direct relationship between perceived sexualization and perceived competence.
Our findings suggest that sexualization can affect judgements of competence and merit in ways that are beyond the influence of traditional gender roles.
How does sexualized perception modify collective judgments of competence and merit?
The perception of sex modifies group evaluations of proficiency and worth because it can influence how individuals are categorized and evaluated based on their gender. Studies have shown that women are frequently underestimated as compared to males for their competency and ability in numerous domains such as leadership, math, science, sports, and other fields.