An Experimental Analysis of Young Women's Attitude Toward the Male Gaze Following Exposure to Centerfold Images of Varying Explicitness

Centerfold images (i.e., still-shot depictions of lone, provocatively posed, scantily clad women) are one of the most enduring, pervasive, and popular forms of sexual media. This study measured young women's attitude toward the male gaze following exposure to centerfolds of varying explicitness. Explicitness was operationalized as degree of undress. Women exposed to more explicit centerfolds expressed greater acceptance of the male gaze than women exposed to less explicit centerfolds immediately after exposure and at a 48 hour follow-up. These results support the view that the more media depictions of women display women's bodies, the stronger the message they send that women are sights to be observed by others. They also suggest that even brief exposure to explicit centerfolds can have a nontransitory effect on women's sociosexual attitudes.