Actually, I agree with Snert. It's the image that is an object, not the woman. What happens when a man is confronted with an 'actual' scantily-clad woman? Do the same parts of the braiin light up? This is not to say that men do not view women as objects--I didn't think that was up for debate--but the fact is that we live in a capitalist, spectacular culture in which the image reigns supreme. It's why the word 'reification' was invented.
I am not convinced that strict dichotomization between person behind the image and the image itself would maintain at the neurological level.
We are all both images and people and a few other things. Double duty.
Also, if it was just about reification, why is it that the more "hostile sexist" men (I'm not sure how you measure this) had a different neurological response?