Workplace Objectification Leads to Self-Harm

Have you been treated merely as a useful tool rather than a human being at work? Have your basic needs, such as sleep, ever been given low priority in the workplace? These experiences exemplify workplace objectification—the phenomenon of treating people as objects or instruments devoid of humanity. Research has found that simply watching the pictures of work induces workplace objectification (Belmi & Schroeder, 2020)

Workplace objectification has many consequences. Being treated as an object interchangeable with others is emotionally afflicting and aversive. We hypothesized that people sometimes engage in self-harm to cope with distress related to workplace objectification.  Self-harm can involve a range of behaviors from failing to follow medical advice to suicide.  Researchers have noted that self-harm can be used as a means of coping with emotional distress. Therefore, we wanted to know whether workplace objectification is linked to self-harm, and if so, why? We also wanted to know what might reduce the link between workplace objectification and self-harm.

Workplace Objectification Leads to Self-Harm

We used a wide array of methods to explore the link between workplace objectification and self-harm—large-scale archival data, employee surveys, and experiments. To establish the robustness of our findings, we used different types of workplace objectification, varied measures of self-harm, and diverse samples including employees and community members from individualistic cultural backgrounds such as the United States and collectivistic backgrounds such as China.

Our first study used data from 50 U.S. states to test the link between how people are treated at work (for example, how many hours they worked), and suicide rates. Our second study tested whether imagining being treated as an object at work affected whether people were likely to follow medical advice; not following medical advice can be considered a passive type of self-harm. Our third study compared the consequences of workplace objectification with other negative and neutral workplace incidents (for example failing at a workplace task), to see if self-harm is linked specifically to workplace objectification but not to other negative experiences. In Study 4, we tested the possibility that people use self-harm as an excuse for not working. Across these studies, self-harm included actual suicide rates, ignoring medical advice, proactive self-harm intentions, suicidal thoughts, and self-reported self-harm behaviors.

Our findings showed that when people experienced workplace objectification they were more likely to harm themselves. Notably, self-harm was not simply a way to get out of work; our findings held even when self-harm did not exempt people from work.

The Role of Depressive Moods

We found that depressive moods are strongly linked to both workplace objectification and self-harm. Analyses showed that workplace objectification induces depressive moods (feeling pessimistic, hopeless, and helpless), which leads to self-harm as a strategy for coping with emotional distress. The painful experience associated with self-harm serves as a momentary relief from depressive feelings.

We also examined other reasons using both experiments and longitudinal studies that followed people over time. Although workplace objectification reduced peoples' sense of belonging in the organization and affected their motivation, feeling depressed was the main reason why workplace objectification led to self-harm.

Finding Light in Perceived Alternatives

Our final two studies explored interventions that might weaken the link between workplace objectification and self-harm.  Specifically, we tested whether perceiving that one has other choices could mitigate the impact of workplace objectification on self-harm. For example, people might perceive they have other choices if society provides adequate social security, enabling people to quit objectified work; if organizations establish channels for filing complaints about workplace objectification and offer transfers to non-objectified positions; or if people have the ability to change objectified situations themselves, such as finding another job.

Both correlational and experimental evidence supported the idea that the detrimental effect of workplace objectification on self-harm is lessened when employees perceive more alternatives in life.

The Takeaway Message

Being treated as an interchangeable instrument or denied one's humanness can lead to self-harm. Workplace objectification leads to depressive moods, which people may cope with through self-harm.  It can be helpful to consider the alternatives people have available to improve their situation. People experiencing workplace objectification could try to change the work climate, file complaints, or quit their jobs rather than harming themselves.

Organizations also have a responsibility to improve the workplace climate so people feel that their humanity is recognized and acknowledged. In doing so, they may improve morale and perhaps even productivity.

For Further Reading  

Dai, Y., Jiang, T., Wang, G., & Poon, K. T. Workplace Objectification Leads to Self-Harm: The Mediating Effect of Depressive Moods. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/01461672231213898.


Yuwan Dai is a postdoc at the School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences at Peking University, under the supervision of Dr. Tonglin Jiang.

Tonglin Jiang is an assistant professor at the School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences at Peking University. Her research interests include questions about self-concept, meaning in life, self-related emotions such as awe and nostalgia, psychological well-being, and the antecedent factors and consequences associated with these constructs.

Wangchu Gaer is a postgraduate of the School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences at Peking University, under the supervision of Dr. Tonglin Jiang.

Kai-Tak Poon is an associate professor of the Department of Psychology at The Education University of Hong Kong. His research aims to understand the socio-psychological processes of interpersonal relationships and human interactions in both Western and Eastern cultures.