New study sheds light on why objectification lowers women’s relationship satisfaction

Women who feel sexually objectified by their romantic partners may experience a diminished sense of personal power in their relationships, which in turn is associated with lower relationship satisfaction, according to new research published in Psychology of Women Quarterly. The study, conducted in Italy, provides new evidence that being viewed primarily as a sexual object by a partner can shape women’s perceptions of their own influence within the relationship, ultimately affecting their overall satisfaction with their romantic life.

Sexual objectification—the act of reducing someone to their physical appearance or sexual value—has been widely studied in contexts such as media representation and workplace dynamics. However, less attention has been given to how sexual objectification functions within romantic relationships. Previous research suggests that being objectified by a partner is linked to negative consequences such as increased self-objectification, reduced sexual agency, and a greater likelihood of experiencing coercion.

The authors of the new study sought to expand this body of research by examining how partner-sexual objectification impacts women’s perception of their personal power—their ability to influence their partner—and whether this, in turn, affects their relationship satisfaction.

To investigate these questions, the researchers conducted two separate studies. The first was an experimental study designed to assess the direct impact of partner-sexual objectification on women’s personal power. A total of 284 women in heterosexual relationships participated. They were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: one group was asked to recall an experience where their partner had treated them as a sexual object, another group was asked to recall a time when their partner valued them for their internal qualities, and a third group was instructed to remember a neutral event such as grocery shopping with their partner. After recalling these experiences, participants completed a measure assessing their perceived personal power within their relationship.

The findings revealed that women who recalled a moment of sexual objectification by their partner reported feeling significantly less personal power compared to those who remembered being valued for their internal qualities or who described a neutral event. In contrast, the other two groups reported similar levels of personal power, suggesting that objectification, rather than simply reflecting on a relationship memory, was the key factor affecting their perceptions of influence.

In the second study, the researchers sought to replicate and extend these findings using a cross-sectional design. They recruited 187 women in heterosexual relationships and asked them to complete surveys assessing their experiences of partner-sexual objectification, their sense of personal power, and their relationship satisfaction. To measure objectification, the researchers adapted a scale originally used to assess self-objectification, modifying it to evaluate women’s perception of their partner’s tendency to focus on their physical appearance.

The results of this second study reinforced those of the first. Women who reported higher levels of partner-sexual objectification also reported lower personal power, and this diminished sense of influence was strongly linked to lower relationship satisfaction. Importantly, statistical analysis showed that personal power acted as a mediator between objectification and relationship satisfaction. In other words, feeling objectified by a partner did not just directly reduce relationship satisfaction—it did so by undermining women’s sense of agency and influence within the relationship.

The findings align with recent studies suggesting that women’s perceptions of objectification in their relationships play a key role in shaping their sexual and emotional well-being. For example, research has found that women who feel objectified by their partners report lower orgasm frequency and higher levels of sexual emotional labor, such as pretending to enjoy sex or tolerating discomfort. This suggests that partner-sexual objectification may have far-reaching consequences for women’s overall relationship and sexual satisfaction.

The researchers acknowledge some limitations to their work. In the experimental study, they relied on self-reported memories of partner-sexual objectification, which could be influenced by participants’ current relationship dynamics or mood. In the second study, the cross-sectional design means that causal conclusions cannot be firmly established. While the data suggest that objectification leads to lower personal power and reduced relationship satisfaction, it is also possible that women who are less satisfied with their relationships are more attuned to their partner’s objectifying behaviors.

Future research could address these limitations by using longitudinal designs to track changes in women’s experiences of objectification, personal power, and relationship satisfaction over time. Additionally, while this study focused on heterosexual women in Italy, it would be valuable to examine whether similar patterns exist across different cultures and relationship structures, including same-sex couples.

The study, “Who Is in Charge? Partner-Sexual Objectification, Personal Power, and Relationship Satisfaction in Heterosexual Women,” was authored by Chiara Pecini, Gian Antonio Di Bernardo, Bianca Tallone, Daniela Ruzzante, Eleonora Crapolicchio, and Luca Andrighetto.