Dr. Laura Ramsey, assistant professor of psychology, has an article in Psychology of Women Quarterly. It contains the results of a study showing that men who objectify their female partners are more likely to coerce them into having sex.
In the article’s abstract, Dr. Ramsey (with co-author Tiffany Holt) summed up the research findings:
An online survey of 119 heterosexual men in the United States demonstrated that men who frequently survey their partners’ bodies are more likely to sexually pressure and coerce their partners—primarily because partner-surveillance is related to feelings of shame regarding one’s partner’s body, which in turn is related to increased sexual pressure and coercion. An online survey of 162 heterosexual women in the United States demonstrated feeling objectified by a partner is related to several (but not all) measures of sexual pressure and coercion.
The article is garnering a lot of attention. Salon and New York magazine have done features on her findings and the Huffington Post has interviewed Professor Ramsey for a planned story.
Here’s a linkto the article.