High Heels, Low Grades: Internalized Sexualization and Academic Orientation Among Adolescent Girls

Abstract

Messages that sexually objectify girls and women are common in popular culture. In two studies, we tested the hypothesis that internalization of the notion that women should be sexually attractive to men is associated with decreased academic success and motivation among early adolescent (10‐ to 15‐year‐old) girls. In Study 1, girls (n = 91) who scored higher on a measure of internalized sexualization earned lower grades and standardized test scores than their peers. In Study 2 (n = 95), girls who completed a mock newscast prepared differently as a function of internalized sexualization; girls with higher levels of internalized sexualization spent more time applying makeup, and less time practicing the script, than girls with lower levels of internalized sexualization.

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