Date of Award:

12-2025

Document Type:

Dissertation

Degree Name:

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department:

Psychology

Committee Chair(s)

Renee V. Galliher

Committee

Renee V. Galliher

Committee

Melissa Tehee

Committee

Joshua G. Parmenter

Committee

Tyler Lefevor

Committee

Steven Camicia

Abstract

The current study combines two narrative-based methods to understand how AMAB non-binary people experience sexual objectification. Sexual objectification is the process of being treated as an object instead of as a whole person while also being sexualized. Individual people can sexually objectify others (i.e., catcalling, asking “What gender are you really?”, repeatedly asking female people about when they’re giving birth); institutions and systems can also objectify people (i.e., listing sex on driver’s licenses instead of gender; providing binary bathrooms, sports teams, and schooling; labeling female reproductive care “women’s health”).

The current study employed a process chart task that guided participants through processing an SOE immediately after objectification; this activity prompted participants to describe the SOE, note their immediate thoughts/emotions, analyze what the SOE communicated and if they agreed with that sentiment, create a non-internalizing thought, note their following thoughts/feelings, and document how they were going to take care of themselves following the activity. After ten participants completed the process chart activity, nine completed a semi-structured interview where they answered a standardized set of questions about their experiences with sexual objectification (included in the appendices); participants were provided the opportunity to elaborate. Six months after completing the interview, eight participants met for a focus group where they reflected on their experiences collectively and provided feedback on the research results and process.

Through the process chart, participants internalized and externalized responsibility for their SOEs and described their subsequent self-care practices. In the interview, participants reported their experiences as people who held multiple marginalized identities, were socialized as boys/men, and used self-acceptance and authenticity to resist blaming themselves for sexual objectification. Through the focus group, participants unanimously provided feedback that they benefited from research participation, enjoyed connecting as a community, and would like to see increased connection with other participants throughout the research process in studies. These three research tasks served as a project that integrated research participants into each step of the research process, making this research endeavor mutually beneficial and a rigorous exploration of AMAB non-binary people’s SOEs. Future directions for therapeutic and research work with transgender and non-binary people are discussed.

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