When men see a woman in a bikini, they see her as a sexy object. OK, that's not news. But what is news is that researchers at Princeton University have confirmed this scientifically.

CNN reports that when men see a bikini-clad woman, the areas of the male brain that are associated with handling tools and the intention to perform light up. The result? Men depersonalize sexual images of women.

"This is just the first study which was focused on the idea that men of a certain age view sex as a highly desirable goal, and if you present them with a provocative woman, then that will tend to prime goal-related responses," psychology professor and study leader Susan Fiske told CNN. "They're not fully conscious responses, and so people don't know the extent to which they're being influenced. It's important to recognize the effects."

In this study, 21 heterosexual male undergraduates at Princeton completed questionnaires to determine whether they harbored "benevolent" sexism, which includes the belief that a woman's place is in the home, or hostile sexism, a more adversarial viewpoint which includes the belief that women attempt to dominate men, reports CNN. For the men who scored the highest on hostile sexism, the researchers found that the part of the brain associated with analyzing another person's thoughts, feelings and intentions was inactive when they viewed photos of scantily clad women. Fiske said the larger purpose of the research was to explore circumstances under which people treat one another as the means to an end.

The takeaway: Women should be aware of how men perceive them when they wear provocative clothing, while men should be alert so feelings of impersonal sexual longing do not interfere with real relationships with women, including female friends. In other words: Guys, don't be a jerk.

The research was presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

--From the Editors at Netscape