Gender Roles in Advertising
Female Roles in Television Advertising: Viewers' Use of Gender Role Cues in Appraising Stereotypic and Non-Stereotypic Role Portrayals Richard H. Kolbe, Washington State University, Washington Carl D. Langefeld, Indiana University, Indiana
The study uses the Bem Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI) as both a self-rating and projective scale to predict viewer responses to stereotypic and non-stereotypic role portrayals in television conlmercials. Projective BSRI ratings of ad characters were significant predictors ofperceptual judgments about the ad character, advertisement, and product. Differences between self-ratings and projective character ratings on the BSRI were also significant predictors of the ad perceptual judgments. Directions for future research in examining role stereotyping in advertising are offered.
INTRODUCTION The depiction of female roles in television advertising has raised a number of provocative research questions. Research in this area has been fostered by the observations made by media analysts regarding the inconsonance of fenlale role portrayals relative to social norms. Supporting these observations have been numerous content analyses which have pointed to the small number, poor quality, and limited breadth of roles afforded female characters in the medium relative to those held by females in real life (Courtney and Whipple 1974; Dominick and Rauch 1972; Gilly 1988; McArthur and Resko 1975; O'Donnell and O'Donnell 1978; Scheibe 1979; Schneider and Schneider 1979). The evidence suggests that advertisers have often used portrayals which can be labeled stereotypic female roles (e.g., female as housewife, female as subservient to a male) as opposed to non-stereotypic roles (e.g., female as athlete, leader, business person). While the content of female roles in television advertising is well understood, the factors which influence viewers' perceptions of these roles has received less research attention. Central to this issue is the
The study uses the Bem Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI) as both a self-rating and projective scale to predict viewer responses to stereotypic and non-stereotypic role portrayals in television conlmercials. Projective BSRI ratings of ad characters were significant predictors ofperceptual judgments about the ad character, advertisement, and product. Differences between self-ratings and projective character ratings on the BSRI were also significant predictors of the ad perceptual judgments. Directions for future research in examining role stereotyping in advertising are offered.
INTRODUCTION The depiction of female roles in television advertising has raised a number of provocative research questions. Research in this area has been fostered by the observations made by media analysts regarding the inconsonance of fenlale role portrayals relative to social norms. Supporting these observations have been numerous content analyses which have pointed to the small number, poor quality, and limited breadth of roles afforded female characters in the medium relative to those held by females in real life (Courtney and Whipple 1974; Dominick and Rauch 1972; Gilly 1988; McArthur and Resko 1975; O'Donnell and O'Donnell 1978; Scheibe 1979; Schneider and Schneider 1979). The evidence suggests that advertisers have often used portrayals which can be labeled stereotypic female roles (e.g., female as housewife, female as subservient to a male) as opposed to non-stereotypic roles (e.g., female as athlete, leader, business person). While the content of female roles in television advertising is well understood, the factors which influence viewers' perceptions of these roles has received less research attention. Central to this issue is the