Applying Objectification Theory to Adolescent Girls’ Gendered Experiences of Physical Education in the United Kingdom

Abstract

Girls’ interest in physical education declines over adolescence in Western countries (e.g., the United Kingdom). Self-objectification in physical education classes may link girls’ gendered experiences in this environment to their engagement in and enjoyment of physical education. We investigated whether objectifying features of the physical education environment (peer appearance-related commentary, teacher gender bias) are linked to self-objectifying thoughts in this context and thus to engagement in and enjoyment of physical education among a sample of 12- to 14-year-old girls in the United Kingdom ( N = 202). We also examined whether body esteem moderates these relations. Results based on conditional process analyses indicated that peer appearance-related commentary (but not teacher gender bias) was positively associated with self-objectifying thoughts in physical education, resulting in an indirect association with physical education enjoyment. Gender bias was directly associated with physical education engagement. These relations were not moderated by body esteem and were significant while controlling for body esteem and positive aspects of physical education (e.g., skill-learning opportunities). These findings suggest that girls’ body concerns specific to physical education classes matter for their enjoyment and that teachers should actively work to reduce appearance-related comments between students in their classes. Additional online materials for this article are available on PWQ's website at http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/suppl/DOI: 10.1177/03616843241262692