Effects of Body Shape on Literal Objectification: When Ideal May be Less Than Ideal

Seventy-one women viewed three photos of women manipulated to depict low-, average-, and high-ideal body shapes, rating how descriptive various human traits (e.g., warmth, competence) were of each woman, with lower scores reflecting greater literal objectification. Average images elicited lower literal objectification; high ideal images were rated lower on warmth.