Eye-tracking Study Find's Men and Women Objectify the Female Body

A new study using eye-tracking technology adds scientific evidence to an experience every woman can relate to -- noticing the male gaze focused on areas other than the face.

Researchers from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln showed 64 college students images of college-age women and then mapped where their eyes fell when asked to focus on the women's appearance. Sure enough, men's eyes quickly sought out the breasts and other sexualized body parts.

Men aren't necessarily alone in this behavior, however, with women following similar patterns. The difference lay in how the two regarded curvy women, with male participants regarding them more positively than those with fewer curves, while most women perceived them similarly. Many women were also more quick to focus in on the faces, the researchers said.

"We do have a slightly different pattern for men than women, but when we looked at their overall dwell times -- how long they focused on each body part -- we find the exact same effects for both groups," co-author and psychologist Sara Gervais said in a statement. "Women, we think, do it often for social comparison purposes."

The study, published in the journal Sex Roles, could prove to be an important step in addressing objectifying gazes and mitigating their effects, the researchers said. Both personality- and appearance-focused groups were used in the study, with differences suggesting that behavior can be changed with self-awareness.

"By characterizing the manner in which people fixate on the body when engaging in objectifying behavior, it also becomes possible to determine methods of reducing this behavior," said psychologist and co-author Michael Dodd. "That's what the personality manipulation part of the study did -- that's a huge positive. It's not as though looking at the body of someone has to be, or is, a default behavior. It just may be the case that cognitive control is required to engage in more appropriate, and less damaging, visual behavior."