Research has revealed numerous negative consequences associated with the sexual
objectification of women. Guided by the constructs of self-objectification and
objectified body consciousness (OBC), the present study sought to extend the
objectification literature by examining the reasons women report smoking cigarettes
in relation to viewing oneself as an object. Undergraduate women (N = 146) completed
questionnaire packets assessing OBC, body image, self-esteem, smoking behavior and
smoking motives. The results showed that current smokers scored higher on OBC
components than did never smokers, and body shame significantly predicted smoking
cigarettes in order to control appetite and weight. The results suggest that
internalizing the prescribed cultural standard for the female body, a proposed
consequence of viewing oneself as an outsider, may play a role in the behavioral
choices made by women with respect to smoking.
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