Nisha Pandey

Health and Me

Can Electrical Shocks To The Brain Reduce Men’s Tendency To Sexualise Women? New Study Finds Change

Mostly experienced by women, sexual objectification is a dehumanising tendency that distorts perception of the opposite gender. So researchers from University of Exeter have attempted to curb through physical intervention.

A new study, published in journal Social Neuroscience, suggests that it may be possible to change how people perceive sexualised images of women, at least temporarily.

Researchers at the University of Exeter found that ten minutes of mild electrical stimulation to the scalp could remove bias linked to sexual objectification of women.

It improved participants’ ability to recognise upright images of sexualised female models. It also removed the difference in the way such images of women and men were processed by the participants. Researchers associated that visual pattern with sexual objectification. 

“Sexual objectification means treating a person as a body to be looked at or used, rather than as a whole person. It’s dehumanising and most often experienced by women,” said Professor Ciro Civile, author who led the research.

The study included 76 students, including 54 women and 22 men. Participants were asked to memorise photographs of male and female models wearing underwear in sexualised poses. The images were presented both upright and upside down.

They were subsequently shown a mixture of previously seen and new images and asked to identify the models they recognised.

Half the participants received ten minutes of mild electrical stimulation through two electrodes placed on the scalp. The other half received a sham treatment involving just 30 seconds of stimulation. Neither the participants nor the experimenters knew who had received the active stimulation.

The technique, called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), uses a weak electrical current to influence brain activity. Participants generally experienced a mild sensation like tingling.

Also read: <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-news/experimental-male-contraceptive-pill-may-immobilise-sperm-work-within-30-minutes-give-protection-for-8-hours-article-156415137" data-type="tilCustomLink">Experimental Male Contraceptive Pill May Immobilise Sperm, Work Within 30 Minutes &amp; Give Protection For 8 Hours</a>

People typically recognise faces and bodies more easily when they are upright than when they are upside down. This is called the inversion effect. It reflects the brain’s ability to process a person as a whole, rather than as a collection of separate features.

Previous research has found that this upright recognition feature is smaller for sexualised images of women than for images of men. Researchers interpret this difference as a sign that sexualised female bodies are being processed more like objects.

In the new study, participants who received the sham treatment showed this pattern. Those who received active stimulation, however, became better at recognising upright images of women, and there was no significant difference between the processing of male and female images.

Civile said, “Our findings are initial evidence that the way our visual system processes sexualised images of women can be changed, at least temporarily, by mildly stimulating the brain.”

He added, “This was a lab study – we didn’t measure attitudes or behaviour, and <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-wellness/low-dose-aspirin-shows-at-least-70-lower-dementia-risk-in-older-adults-but-a-serious-complication-still-remains-article-156408857" data-type="tilCustomLink">brain</a> stimulation is no cure for sexism – but it gives us a new way to study how objectification works.”

Also read: <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-wellness/can-mental-health-improvement-help-lower-high-blood-pressure-study-points-towards-3-habits-article-156407837" data-type="tilCustomLink">Can Mental Health Improvement Help Lower High Blood Pressure? Study Points Towards 3 Habits</a>

<h2>Can Electrical Stimulation Reduce Sexism?</h2>

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The experiment basically measured performance on a specific visual-recognition task, not participants’ beliefs, behaviour or their outlook on women.

The researchers also tested recognition during stimulation or immediately afterwards. They did not identify how long the change lasted or whether the findings would apply outside the laboratory.

The sample was also small and consisted entirely of university students, so further research is needed to test the findings in bigger sample sizes

Sexual objectification is behind various harmful outcomes, including body shame, anxiety, eating disorders and greater tolerance of sexual harassment. Understanding how objectifying perceptions arise may help researchers investigate ways to address these sexist biases.

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sexual objectification study

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Mostly experienced by women, sexual objectification is a dehumanising tendency that distorts perception of the opposite gender. So researchers from University of Exeter have attempted to curb through physical intervention.A new study, published in journal Social Neuroscience, suggests that it may be possible to change how people perceive sexualised images of women, at least temporarily.Researchers at the University of Exeter found that ten minutes of mild electrical stimulation to the scalp could remove bias linked to sexual objectification of women.It improved participants’ ability to recognise upright images of sexualised female models. It also removed the difference in the way such images of women and men were processed by the participants. Researchers associated that visual pattern with sexual objectification. “Sexual objectification means treating a person as a body to be looked at or used, rather than as a whole person. It’s dehumanising and most often experienced by women,” said Professor Ciro Civile, author who led the research.How Did the Experiment Work?The study included 76 students, including 54 women and 22 men. Participants were asked to memorise photographs of male and female models wearing underwear in sexualised poses. The images were presented both upright and upside down.They were subsequently shown a mixture of previously seen and new images and asked to identify the models they recognised.Half the participants received ten minutes of mild electrical stimulation through two electrodes placed on the scalp. The other half received a sham treatment involving just 30 seconds of stimulation. Neither the participants nor the experimenters knew who had received the active stimulation.The technique, called transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), uses a weak electrical current to influence brain activity. Participants generally experienced a mild sensation like tingling.Also read: Experimental Male Contraceptive Pill May Immobilise Sperm, Work Within 30 Minutes & Give Protection For 8 HoursResults After Brain Stimulation People typically recognise faces and bodies more easily when they are upright than when they are upside down. This is called the inversion effect. It reflects the brain’s ability to process a person as a whole, rather than as a collection of separate features.Previous research has found that this upright recognition feature is smaller for sexualised images of women than for images of men. Researchers interpret this difference as a sign that sexualised female bodies are being processed more like objects.In the new study, participants who received the sham treatment showed this pattern. Those who received active stimulation, however, became better at recognising upright images of women, and there was no significant difference between the processing of male and female images.Civile said, “Our findings are initial evidence that the way our visual system processes sexualised images of women can be changed, at least temporarily, by mildly stimulating the brain.”He added, “This was a lab study – we didn’t measure attitudes or behaviour, and brain stimulation is no cure for sexism – but it gives us a new way to study how objectification works.”Also read: Can Mental Health Improvement Help Lower High Blood Pressure? Study Points Towards 3 HabitsCan Electrical Stimulation Reduce Sexism?                  The experiment basically measured performance on a specific visual-recognition task, not participants’ beliefs, behaviour or their outlook on women.The researchers also tested recognition during stimulation or immediately afterwards. They did not identify how long the change lasted or whether the findings would apply outside the laboratory.The sample was also small and consisted entirely of university students, so further research is needed to test the findings in bigger sample sizesSexual objectification is behind various harmful outcomes, including body shame, anxiety, eating disorders and greater tolerance of sexual harassment. Understanding how objectifying perceptions arise may help researchers investigate ways to address these sexist biases.

can electrical shocks to the brain reduce men’s tendency to sexualise women? new study finds change

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Can Electrical Shocks To The Brain Reduce Men’s Tendency To Sexualise Women? New Study Finds Change

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Can Electrical Shocks To The Brain Reduce Men’s Tendency To Sexualise Women? New Study Finds Change

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Long COVID Doubles Heart Disease Risk In Women, Raises It By A Third In Men, Finds Study