The Development and Validation of the Male Assessment of Self-Objectification (MASO)

Self-objectification occurs when the appearance rather than the functionality of one's body is considered to be the most important determinant of his or her self-worth and may be used to explain the drive for muscularity in men. Given mixed findings in the literature regarding men's experiences of self-objectification, there is reason to believe that these discrepancies may be a result of the way in which self-objectification is currently being measured. Therefore, we sought to develop and validate an instrument to assess self-objectification specifically in men called the Male Assessment of Self-Objectification (MASO). To do so, three studies were conducted, comprising the initial scale development, validation, and test-retest phases of scale construction. Exploratory factor analysis was used in the first study where results yielded two factors. In the second study, results from confirmatory factor analyses indicated that the two-factor model of the MASO was superior to a one-factor model. Further, the MASO was significantly correlated to the drive for muscularity, body surveillance, and body shame as predicted. Lastly, the results of the final study supported the stability of the MASO over a 2-week period. Collectively, results indicate that the MASO demonstrates adequate validity and reliability in assessing self-objectification in men.