CHILDREN RESPONSES TO GENDER-ROLE STEREOTYPED

ADVERTISEMENTS

Young children constitute a substantial market segment.

Tremendous Growth in the children market along with expansion in the number & type of children’s media outlet.

Companies advertising via numerous children’s television networks.

Gender Role Perceptions

› One Of The Variables that determine the effectiveness of different types of advertising appeals like adults’ gender stereo types.

STEREOTYPES

¤ The use of stereotype is pervasive.

¤ Fixed general belief, characteristic, etc. that a lot of people to represent a particular type of person or thing.

¤ Stereotypes embody one group’s perceptions of the:• personality traits,• predispositions, • attitudes, and• behaviors of another group of people.

COMPONENTS OF GENDER ROLE STEREOTYPES

Male stereotype –

AGENTIC or

INSTRUMENTAL orientation

Female stereotype – COMMUNAL

or EXPRESSIVE orientation

MA

LE

STER

EO

TY

PES

Positiv

e

Con

nota

tion

Negativ

e

Con

nota

tion

› Independence

› Leadership› Decisivenes

s› Active› Strong› skillful› Aggressive› Dominant› Stubborn› Self-centered

FEM

ALE

STER

EO

TY

PES

Positiv

e

Con

nota

tion

Negativ

e

Con

nota

tion

› Empathy› Nurturance› Social grace› Concern for

others

› Weakness› Indecisivene

ss› Dependence› Emotional

Influence of Stereotypes across

AGE GROUPS During development process children

typically go through certain stages of understanding & application of gender role stereotypes.

› During PRESCHOOL years – MORE RIGID

› During MIDDLE CHILDHOOD – MORE FLEXIBLE

Influence of Stereotypes across

GENDER Due to development differences, boys &

girls – of the same age group- hold somewhat different views of gender appropriate behavior.

› Girls have been shown to hold more FLEXIBLE views regarding GENDER ROLES as compared to boys.

› Girls are more ACCEPTING of both genders’ participation in HOUSE HOLD tasks.

PURPOSE

Examine whether the AGE & GENDER of PREADOLESCENT CHILDREN influence their Attitudes towards Advertisement that incorporate stereotypical male or female attributes

Theoretical Foundation Children go through various stages in their

cognitive development.

Children’s understanding of gender is fluid & development gradually overtime.

Over time, children develop schemas regarding gender-appropriate behavior.

These schemas progress from the simple to more complex concepts of masculinity & femininity.

Theoretical Foundation Children’s formative years - parents &

socialization agents present a framework for gender appropriate behavior, modeling & reinforcing the desired behavior.

Children begin to be aware of gender as they approach one year of age.

As children mature they are more likely to imitate same-sex models.

Parents put more pressure on boys in regard to gender appropriate behavior.

The Effects of AGE & GENDER on

Stereotyping Two & a half years of AGE

B/w the ages of 2 to 4 – Differentiate on the basis of gender stereo typed behavior.

Preschool age children are oriented towards same gender playmates & activities.

Differences across AGE

› Early on (4 to 8) – somewhat rigid in views

› Later Ages (8 to 10) – more flexile & acknowledge a wider range of gender appropriate activities & occupations.

Differences across GENDER

› Boys hold more traditional gender role beliefs & have strong preferences for same gender activities as compared to girls.

› B/w preschool & middle school Girls become more flexible in their views

The Effects of AGE & GENDER on

Stereotyping

Gender Stereotypes &

Children’s advertising

B/w preschool & early adolescence Children go through different stages of:

cognitive & social development

Young boy’s & girl’s perception of gender appropriate behavior vary.

It is reasonable to hypothesize that:

Children advertisement that incorporate various gender role stereotypes might be perceived differently by young boys as compared to young girls. And might be viewed differently by preadolescent children of different ages.

Gender Stereotypes &

Children’s advertising

HYPOTHESES

H1A:

Preadolescent boys will have a more favorable attitude for an advertisement embedded with agentic attributes as compared to an advertisement that embedded with communal attributes

H1B:

Preadolescent girls will report a more favorable attitude for an advertisement embedded with communal attributes, as compared to an advertisement that is embedded with agentic attributes.

H1C:

Preadolescent boys will report a more favorable attitude for an advertisement embedded with agentic attributes, than will preadolescent girls.

H1D:

Preadolescent girls will have a more favorable attitude for an advertisement embedded with communal attributes, than will preadolescent boys.

H2A:

Preadolescent boys who are in a younger age group will exhibit a more favorable attitude for an advertisement embedded with agentic attributes than will preadolescent boys who are in an older age group.

H2B:

Preadolescent boys who are in an older age group will show a more favorable attitude for an advertisement embedded with communal attributes as compared to preadolescent boys who are in an younger age group.

H2C:

Preadolescent girls who are in a younger age group will show a more favorable attitude for an advertisement embedded with communal attributes than preadolescent boys who are in an older age group

H2D:

Preadolescent girls who are in an older age group will show a more favorable attitude for an advertisement embedded with agentic attributes than preadolescent boys who are in an younger age group

METHODOLOGY

SUBJECTS DATA were collected at an

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL located in the Southern U.S.

Younger adolescent group comprised of :› Kindergarten (5-6 years)

Older preadolescent group was comprised of :› 3rd & 4th grades (9-10 years)

280 participants Evenly mixed b/w boys & girls Half were in kindergarten &

half in 3rd or 4th grade 68% were Caucasian 30% were African American 2% were Asian or Hispanic

SUBJECTS

STIMULUS MATERIALS

TO MANIPULATE THE INDEPENDENT VARIABLE ( agentic vs. communal

gender role behaviors), advertising storyboards were used as stimulus

materials.

One set of advertising storyboards conveyed an agentic theme, while the

other set conveyed a communal theme.

CONCLUSION In the case of products that are

designed for both boys & girls – of various ages- it is certainly more cost effective to develop a single advertising that has broad appeal.