Date of Award
Spring 5-2024
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Department/Program
Forensic Psychology
Language
English
First Advisor or Mentor
Elizabeth Jeglic
Second Reader
Shuki Cohen
Third Advisor
Eilon Shomron-Atar
Abstract
This study adopts a mixed-method approach, utilizing both qualitative content analysis and quantitative metadata assessments to evaluate 1000 TikTok videos tagged under specific hashtags suggestive of youthful and sexualized themes. Qualitative findings highlighted the characteristics of sexualization through thematic content analysis, sorting behaviors, attire, and the context of music and speech within the videos. Themes such as sexualized postures, sexualized attire, sexualized dancing, sexualized speech, and sexualized gestures were categorized and quantified with the support of descriptive statistics. The study found a significant presence of sexualization in the sample, most prominently in post-pubescent women. Quantitatively, engagement metrics provided insight into the reception of users with such sexualized content. Particular attention was given to variations in the frequency of these metrics across different hashtags. Findings demonstrated that sexualized themes were prevalent in all age groups and hashtags. Further, sexualization was most prevalent in the adult age category, followed by post-pubescent individuals and pre-pubescent individuals. Significant associations were observed between age estimates and certain aspects of sexualized presentation, suggesting that post-pubescent individuals featured more frequently in categories of sexualized behavior. The findings of our exploratory study indicate that sexualization is prevalent on TikTok and that the patterns observed underline societal attitudes toward femininity and sexuality, which hold potential implications for forensic psychology. Recommendations for future research include a deeper dive into the psychosexual impacts on young women. This research may assist in guiding policy formulation, platform regulation, and educational efforts aimed at mitigating the negative consequences of sexualization in social media environments.
Recommended Citation
Schmerz, Grace, "An Exploratory Research on the Sexualization of Young Women on TikTok" (2024). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/jj_etds/310
Included in
Developmental Psychology Commons, Gender and Sexuality Commons, Other Psychology Commons, Social Media Commons