Date of Award

2013

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Social Sciences

First Advisor

Barton, Michelle

Keywords

Gender, Advertising, Advertisement, Presentation, Instructional Frame, Body Image

Area of Concentration

Psychology, Gender Studies

Abstract

This study investigated how the gender presentation of models in advertisements and an instructional frame emphasizing gender fluidity affected adolescents' and young adults' evaluations of these ads. Participants were exposed to five advertising images picturing a feminine female, a masculine female, a feminine male, a masculine male, and a pair of jeans (control). Participants then completed a survey measuring their evaluations of model attractiveness, ad effectiveness, ad relatability, self-attractiveness, sex role orientation, and media-inspired social comparison behavior. Participants exposed to the inclusive instructional frame rated the four model images as more effective and relatable than participants in the control group who did not receive the instructional frame. Participants exposed to the inclusive instructional frame also rated images of gender incongruent models as more relatable, while participants in the control condition (no frame) exhibited the opposite effect. Female participants rated images of gender incongruent models as more effective and relatable, while male participants exhibited the opposite effect. Gender incongruent participants rated all four model images as more relatable than gender congruent participants. Female participants had higher levels of media-inspired social comparison behavior than male participants, and there was a negative correlation between self-attractiveness ratings and media-inspired social comparison behavior. The findings of the current study demonstrate the feasibility of changing perceptions with the simple use of an inclusive framework. The application of this method as a potential tool for adolescent media literacy educations is discussed as a means of mediating the negative effects of stereotyped images in advertisements

Rights

The author has granted New College of Florida the nonexclusive right to archive, make accessible, and distribute for educational purposes this work in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. The copyright of this work remains with the author.

Download

Share

COinS