Do We See People As Objects?

A new study (pdf) attempts to better understand sexual objectification. The conclusion:

[P]eople seen as bodies are not seen as mindless objects but, instead, as experiencers: someone more capable of pain, pleasure, desire, sensation, and emotion but lacking in agency. In other words, focusing on the body does not lead to de-mentalization but to a redistribution of mind.

Jonah Lehrer unpacks this:

If you’re a female applying for a job, the sexist tendency of men to focus on the body will unfairly diminish perceptions of agency and intelligence; you will be punished for having breasts. Although the woman won’t be literally objectified, the redistribution of mind will still make her much less likely to be hired.