A well-established finding in the literature is that in more unequal societies, individuals with lower socioeconomic status experience worse health, higher rates of anxiety, and depression. Recent studies have demonstrated that economic inequality indirectly increases women's intentions to wear revealing clothing and that it does so by increasing women's anxiety about their place in the social hierarchy. These results are particularly alarming since much research has verified the link between self-sexualization (i.e., the tendency to publicly express behaviors typical of soft-core pornography, such as wearing sexy, revealing clothing) and acceptance of sexual harassment.

Through correlational and experimental studies, I have shown that heterosexual women who perceive greater inequality exhibit more status anxiety, self-sexualization, and enjoyment of sexualization, which are linked to a greater acceptance of gender-based violence, particularly in terms of minimizing violent male behaviors. The effect of economic inequality and greater acceptance of violence has been replicated also using an implicit measurement to assess attitudes toward gender-based violence, suggesting that high inequality shapes psychological realities beyond explicit awareness.

Since economic inequality appears to be a key driver of status anxiety, self-sexualization, and tolerance of violence against women, efforts to reduce inequality at a structural level may have significant downstream effects on individuals' psychological experiences and attitudes. In parallel, educational programs and awareness campaigns could help mitigate the psychological impact of inequality by fostering critical awareness and resilience. Additionally, the use of implicit measurement tools in these studies could inform the development of more effective anti-violence campaigns that reach individuals on both conscious and unconscious levels.

For this project, I received funding from the European Association of Social Psychology.