The link between sexual objectification and sexual aggression towards women is well documented in the literature. However, the mechanisms connecting the two remain largely unexplored. In this...Show moreThe link between sexual objectification and sexual aggression towards women is well documented in the literature. However, the mechanisms connecting the two remain largely unexplored. In this thesis, I investigated whether sexual overperception (i.e., men’s tendency to overperceive women’s interest in them) mediates the relationship between sexual objectification and sexual aggression towards women in an online dating setting. Twenty-four male participants engaged in a date with a female confederate via an online dating platform, while their interactions were recorded for analysis. Two mediation analyses were performed to investigate the theorized relationship, using two separate measures of aggression: (1) boundary pushing, and (2) facially displayed aggression. The results revealed no significant mediating effects of sexual overperception on the relationship between sexual objectification and aggression. These results showed no support for the notion that sexual overperception serves as a mediator in this relationship. Different factors and limitations are discussed as possibly contributing to these findings, and several future research suggestions are made to further explore the theorized relationship between sexual objectification, sexual overperception, and aggression.Show less
