Objectification of a romantic partner is differentially linked to dimensions of perceived relationship quality among women and men in heterosexual dyads

Objectification involves treating others instrumentally and perceiving them as less than fully human. While research on objectification in romantic relationships has demonstrated its association with lower relationship quality, it has focused mainly on sexual objectification. This study explored associations between objectification conceptualized as a general tendency to objectify a romantic partner and different dimensions of relationship quality—satisfaction, commitment, investments, and perceived quality of alternatives—using a sample of 230 heterosexual dyads. Participants completed two measures: the Romantic Partner Objectification Scale assessing the extent to which one treats and perceives one’s partner as primarily useful, and the Investment Model Scale. APIM analyses showed that objectification was positively associated with perceived quality of alternatives and negatively associated with commitment, regardless of partner sex. Sex differences emerged for satisfaction: men reported lower relationship satisfaction both when they objectified their partners and when they were objectified by them, whereas women reported lower satisfaction only when they were objectified by their partners. Men who objectified their partners reported lower investment in the relationship, whereas women’s objectification of their partners was not associated with their investment. Neither women nor men reported lower investments when they were objectified by their partners.