Assessing the Influence of Gender and Sexual Self-Schema on Affective Responses to Sexual Content in Advertising

Abstract

This investigation contributes to work on emotion-based advertising by testing responses to three types of sexual stimuli in commercials: ads featuring women, men, or both women and men. As expected, affective and attitudinal responses were most favorable to opposite-sex stimuli, followed by mixed-sex stimuli, with same-sex imagery evaluated least favorably. In addition, the relationship between Sexual Self-schema (SSS) and emotional response revealed that SSS significantly predicted females' affective reactions to commercials featuring opposite sex models and couples, but not same-sex models. For male viewers, only a marginal link existed between SSS and affect in response to female models. Thefindings provide evidence that both gender and predispositions to sexual stimuli should be considered when assessing emotional reactions to sex in advertising.

The Role of Female Sexual Self-Schema in Reactions to Non-explicit Sexual Advertising Imagery

“…A key consideration here is that as Reichert, LaTour, and Kim (2007), it would be disingenuous to claim that sexual advertising is targeted equally at consumers regardless of SSS level. Rather, these advertisements are primarily targeted at high-SSS consumers (in the present study, female consumers).…”

“…Unlike many other scales measuring sexual attitudes and/or behaviors, this scale is veiled and unobtrusive, with items that are not revealing of their true purpose, thus avoiding potential bias. The scale has exhibited strong validity and been successfully implemented in recent advertising explorations (Reichert andFosu 2005, Reichert, LaTour, andKim 2007).…”

Female Bareness in Print Advertisements: Do Religiosity and Gender Matter?

“…Many studies show that the gender has a significant influence on viewers' responses to the bareness in advertisements (Dianoux & Linhart, 2010;Jeong & Hwang, 2005;Nelson & Pack, 2008;Sabri & Obermiller, 2011). The use of the opposite sex in the commercial produces a very strong result (Liu, Li, & Cheng, 2006;Reichert, LaTour, & Kim, 2007;Reichert & Fosu, 2005;Sengupta & Dahl, 2008), particularly with regard to female bareness (Jeong & Hwang, 2005). Studies conducted on the relationship between the consumers' gender and their attitudes toward the use of eroticism in advertisements state that women are more sensitive to erotic provocation (Dudley, 1999).…”

“…Provocative advertisements cause positive and negative emotions that affect the reactions of viewers (Batra & Ray, 1986;Edell & Burke, 1987). These reactions, having an influence on consumers' behaviour (Liu, Cheng, & Li, 2009;Reichert et al, 2007), are measured by the attitude toward the advertisement (Bagozzi, Gopinath, & Nyer, 1999;Brown & Stayman, 1992;Mitchell & Olson, 1981;Shimp, 1981). It is also suggested that the emotions and the attitudes of consumers affect their behaviour; particularly, when they are exposed to an advertisement (DeBarnier, 2002;Holbrook & Hirschman, 1982).…”

Consumer Responses to Explicit Sexual Stimuli in Advertising: Artistic vs Provocative Style

“…The main risk is that the sexual content in advertising, while capturing the consumer's attention, can distract him from other information that is more substantial and relevant as, for example, those related to the brand (MacInnis, Moorman & Jaworski, 1991;Cui & Yang, 2009). Doubtless the use of sexual content in advertising raises the level of attention (Belch, Holgerson, Belch & Koppman, 1981;Dudley, 1999;Reichert, Heckler & Jackson, 2001;Reichert, LaTour & Kim, 2007;Lombardot, 2007) and may help to make those messages more interesting and engaging. A few years ago, Bello, Pitts, and Etzel (1983) manipulated a famous Calvin Klein jeans commercial, in which a seductive Brooke Shields was portrayed, in order to show both the sexy version (original) and the non-sexy version of the ad.…”