Sexual Objectification in Family of Origin Scale: Development and Psychometric Evaluation

Abstract

In this article, we report the development and psychometric properties of scores on a new 8-item scale designed to assess women’s sexual objectification experiences in their family of origin: Sexual Objectification Experiences in Family of Origin Scale. Our participants were 827 young adult women, ranging in age from 18–30 years old, who filled out a web-based survey. We provide support for structural validity (via exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses) and reliability (alpha and omega) for scores on this new measure. Supporting construct validity, Sexual Objectification Experiences in Family of Origin Scale was positively correlated with depression, disordered eating, self-objectification, internalization of cultural standards of beauty, and body shame. Associations with mental health and body image outcomes held true, even after controlling for interpersonal sexual objectification experiences and childhood sexual abuse, providing support for incremental validity. Mental health providers can use this scale as a clinical assessment tool to better understand the contextual factors that may be impacting young adult women’s struggles with body shame, depression, and disordered eating. It can also be used to inform treatment strategies that target family of origin concerns and the role of sexual objectification within the family unit on individual distress.