Chennai: A groundbreaking study presented at the Cognitive Science Society conference in Rotterdam reveals that women experience objectification regardless of their attire.

The research, funded by the DST's Cognitive Science Research Initiative and conducted by the Cognitive Science Lab at IIITH, challenges existing notions that sexualized clothing is the primary driver of objectification.

The paper, titled “Objectifying Gaze: An Empirical Study With Non-Sexualised Images,” authored by Ayushi Agrawal and Srija Bhupathiraju under Prof. Kavita Vemuri's guidance, employed eye-tracking technology to study visual gaze patterns.

Contrary to Western studies focusing on sexualized attire, this study analyzed images of men and women in casual jeans and shirts.

The researchers found that gaze objectification extended beyond sexually suggestive clothing. Participants of all genders showed an intrusive gaze towards both sexual body parts and faces. This suggests that visual objectification is influenced more by social and cultural factors than by clothing alone.

Prof. Vemuri highlighted a key difference between Western and Indian contexts: while Western studies emphasize a focus on sexual body parts, the IIITH study showed a more balanced gaze on both faces and body parts in the Indian setting. This indicates a cultural emphasis on facial features in attractiveness and social evaluation.

The study's implications extend to understanding how objectification and societal perceptions impact behavior and treatment towards women. The researchers emphasize the need for further studies addressing toxic masculinity, social biases, and other factors influencing objectification.

The research is a step toward a broader examination of how societal attitudes affect empathy and treatment of women across different contexts.