Dawn Szymanski, associate professor of psychology, co-wrote an article for The Conversation about how the working environment of “breastaurants”—places like Twin Peaks, Hooters, and Spice Rack—affect the emotional well-being of its female employees.
Szymanski and co-author Chandra Feltman, graduate teaching associate, conducted two studies and found “waitresses working in restaurants that sexually objectified their employees were more likely to experience a host of negative interactions with customers, ranging from unwanted advances to lewd comments. They were also far more likely to internalize cultural standards of beauty, experience symptoms of depression and were more likely to be dissatisfied with their job.”
Read the article on The Conversation website.
Szymanski also was featured in the Houston Chronicle.