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A heightened focus on appearance might explain why many women do not feel cold when wearing little clothing in low temperatures, according to findings published in the British Journal of Social Psychology. Among a group of female nightclub goers, only those who were low in self-objectification reported feeling colder when wearing less clothing.
The study authors were motivated by a curious phenomenon whereby women seem unbothered by cold weather during nights out. When heading out to nightclubs or bars, many women forgo their jackets and wear outfits that expose much of their skin, even in winter. Authors Roxanne N. Felig and her colleagues proposed that there may be a psychological explanation for why these women do not seem to feel the cold — and it may have to do with self-objectification.
“Anecdotally, I think we’ve all witnessed the phenomenon of being out for a night on the town, when it’s absolutely freezing, passing by women wearing skimpy outfits and thinking to ourselves ‘aren’t they cold?’ Some of us may even have personal experience with defying the cold because a coat ‘didn’t go’ with our outfit,” explained Felig, a PhD student at the University of South Florida.
“This aligns with historical standards for women’s appearance which prioritize beauty over comfort. Victorian corsets, high heels, and cosmetic surgery are all examples of enduring discomfort for the sake of appearance. We think that this phenomenon is another example of women ignoring physiological cues to look good. So, we considered whether there might be some underlying psychological mechanism at play. Specifically, we sought to test it using objectification theory as a framework.”
The study authors were motivated by a curious phenomenon whereby women seem unbothered by cold weather during nights out. When heading out to nightclubs or bars, many women forgo their jackets and wear outfits that expose much of their skin, even in winter. Authors Roxanne N. Felig and her colleagues proposed that there may be a psychological explanation for why these women do not seem to feel the cold — and it may have to do with self-objectification.
“Anecdotally, I think we’ve all witnessed the phenomenon of being out for a night on the town, when it’s absolutely freezing, passing by women wearing skimpy outfits and thinking to ourselves ‘aren’t they cold?’ Some of us may even have personal experience with defying the cold because a coat ‘didn’t go’ with our outfit,” explained Felig, a PhD student at the University of South Florida.
“This aligns with historical standards for women’s appearance which prioritize beauty over comfort. Victorian corsets, high heels, and cosmetic surgery are all examples of enduring discomfort for the sake of appearance. We think that this phenomenon is another example of women ignoring physiological cues to look good. So, we considered whether there might be some underlying psychological mechanism at play. Specifically, we sought to test it using objectification theory as a framework.”
Women who self-objectify are less aware of the cold during nights out, study finds
A heightened focus on appearance might explain why many women do not feel cold when wearing little clothing in low temperatures, according to findings published in the British Journal of Social Psychology. Among a group of female nightclub goers, only those who were low in self-objectification...
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