THE PSYCHOLOGICAL FEATURES OF THE PERCEPTION OF ADVERTISING WITH DIFFERENT GENDER-ROLE MODELS

Abstract

The article considers the problem of gender discrimination and popular gender stereotypes in the advertising, as well as studies the psychological features of the perception of advertising with different gender-role models: in particular, advertising with gender discrimination or with gender stereotypes, the gender-neutral advertising and advertising with signs of femvertising (which challenges such stereotypes). The authors analysed the mechanisms of gender stereotype alimentation in advertising, the main varieties of such stereotypes and types of the stereotyped advertising characters of both sexes, as well as the trends related to anti-sexism and gender stereotype breaking. Particular attention was paid to the analysis of the criteria distinguishing the gender stereotypes or signs of gender discrimination in advertising. The authors present the results of their own study on the psychological features of the perception of advertising with different gender-role models. Advertising that contained gender stereotypes and signs of gender discrimination received the lowest ratings from the respondents compared to other advertisings. The only exception was the evaluation of such advertising with cognitive indicators. However, there was a certain heterogeneity in the perception of such advertising: the more natural a stereotype was for certain people, the more tolerant was their attitude towards such advertising. Gender-neutral advertising was evaluated the highest with all indicators. The only exception was the advertising demonstrating gender neutrality in topics which previously was distinguished clearly by gender: the older men rated such advertising very low. Advertising that challenged gender stereotypes was perceived rather positively, especially emotionally, however, its perception depended significantly on the respondents’ age and gender: young women rated ads with signs of femvertising positively with all indicators, older women assessed such advertising neutrally, but older men had the lowest rating for such ads.