Effects of Sexualization in

Advertisements

Alyssa Zaid and Phillip Walker

Hanover College

Advertising
Advertising is the non-personal communication of
information usually paid for and usually persuasive in
nature about products, services or ideas by identified
sponsors through various media (Bovee, 1992)

Commonly include brand, product, and how product could

be beneficial to entice consumers
Companies use a variety of methods to promote
products/services in order to influence and appeal to a
broad range of consumers (Keller, 1987)

Persuasion
Symbolic process in which ads try to convince
consumers to change their attitudes or behaviors
(Perloff, 2003)
Advertisements have shifted from central focus of
product to having a model represent the benefits of a
product as a means of persuasion (Beasley & Danesi,
2002)
Sexualized models can be used as persuasion techniques
(Lynn, 1995)

Importance of Memory
Time difference between view advertisement and
purchasing product

The placement of advertising retrieval cues increase

likelihood to recall information from advertisements (Keller,
1987).

Promotional messages impact information already stored in

LTM based upon the retrieval cues present
Viewing advertisements strengthens memory of product and brand
Stored information allows for the connecting links to have a
stronger association (Keller, 1987)

How Sexualization is Used in Ads

Sexualized ads depict women with either alluring behavior or

wearing provocative clothing as a means to promote products

and services (Monk-Turner et al., 2007)

Viewing sexualized images tend to elicit a variety of sensations
that lead one to making an association of possible pleasurable
outcomes for him/herself (Adams 1916)

Research on Sexualization in Advertisements

Lynn, 1995
Sexualization is least effective when it is used on a product
which is not normally associated with sex
The sexualized content in advertising must be appropriate
to the product category and have a proper underlying
message
Direct/indirect promotion of sex in advertisements

If sex is perceived as irrelevant to the product, it may

have a negative effect on attitudes and purchasing
intention

Print vs. Video Advertisements

Print
Example: newspapers,
magazines, billboards
Printed advertisements
yielded greater recall
compared to televised
(Buchanan 1964)
Familiarity
Able to review
information in ad

Video
Example: television
commercials, internet
commercial
Television advertising has
become the most effective
contemporary medium
(Beasley & Danesi, 2002).
Demonstration of the
benefits

Hypothesis
Expect to find lower memory retention for brand

and product information in sexualized than non

sexualized advertisements for non sexual products.

Expect to find a higher memory retention for brand

and product information in video than in print

advertisements for non sexual products.

Participants
N=37 (24 Females, 13 Male)
18 in the sexualized condition (6 Male)
19 in the non-sexualized condition (7 Male)
98% Caucasian; 2% Other

Stimuli
Brand

Hermes

Hermes

Meltin Pot

Oliver Peoples

Product

Scarves

Purses

Jeans

Glasses

Had sexualized and non sexualized versions

As well as print and video

Print ad as shown for the same length as video ad

Stimuli: Advertisements

Sexualized

Non-sexualized

Procedure
Participants viewed two advertisements
Both were either sexualized or non sexualized
One print, one video
Different products and Brands
Group 1

Group 2

Group 3

Group 4

Sexualized Print 1

Neutral print 2

Sexualized Video 2

Neutral Video 2

Sexualized Video 2

Neutral Video 1

Sexualized Print 1

Neutral Print 1

Table 1: Condition possibilities for study and the basis of procedure in which
participants will be exposed to the advertisements.

Procedure Continued
After advertisements they viewed an
episode of Doug ( Doug takes a hike/Doug
Rocks)

Then took a survey over the advertisements

Questions
What was the product being advertised?
What was the products brand?
What do you remember about the
advertisement?
How confident are you in your memory about
the advertisements shown?
How much did you like the advertisement
How attractive is the model

Analysis
Purchasing intentions, attitudes, and memory:
2 x 2 mixed ANOVA
IV 1: Sexualized or Non sexualized
IV 2: Print and Video
DVs: Attitudes, recall, purchasing intent

Rating of Models Attractiveness

6

Models Attractiveness

5.5
5
4.5
4
3.5

Sexualized
Nonsexualized

3
2.5
2
1.5
1
Print

Interaction: Media typexsexualization

F (1,35) = 4.442, p = 0.042

Video

Attitude about ad
6
5.5
5
Rating of ad

4.5
4
Sexualized

3.5

Nonsexualized

3
2.5
2
1.5
1
Print

F (1,35) = 4.86, p = 0.034

Video

Items recalled
4

# of Items Recalled

3.5
3
2.5
Sexualized

Nonsexualized

1.5
1
0.5
0
Print

Main effect: Media type

Video

F (1, 35) = 0.4928, p=.033

Items recalled: Model and Product

2

Video

1.8
Model
Product

1.4
1.2
1
0.8
0.6
0.4

# of Items Recalled for Print

# of Items Recalled for Video

1.8
1.6

1.4
1.2
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2

0
Non
Sexualized

Model
Product

1.6

0.2
Sexualized

Print

Sexualized

Non
Sexualized

Media type: F (1,35) = 19.16 p <.001

Main effect: Model product: p<.001
Interaction: Model productxsexualization: p =.007

Discussion

Print out performed video for some items

Video out performed print for other items
Other items had large error
NO statistically significant main effects for
sexualization.

Discussion
Reasons for why sexualized models look better
in video and non-sexualized model look better
in print
In sexualized video movement could play a part in
the attractiveness
In sexualized print the participant would have a
longer time to notice flaws or picture modification

Discussion
Connection between attention recall and
purchasing.
Sexualization allures attention (Lynn, 1995)
Participants are less likely to recall information
from sexualized advertisements
Sexualized images may serve as distraction when
processing ad information (Darke, 1988)

Discussion
Video vs. Print
Televised information is being processed visually as well
as auditory
Printed information is processed only visually
Involvement as a factor in the ability to recall/recognize
information
Ads that have no lasting effects will have no lasting
impact
Must be deeply processed if effect is going to take
place

But

Discussion
Overall more items recalled in video
But, fewer of those items deal with product or
brand.
Effect greater in sexualized video advertisements

Video distracts attention from brand and

product.
Sexualization is particularly distracting

Limitations
Unfamiliarity with brands
Exposure allows for greater recall and familiarity

Ads only presented once

In real world ads presented many times

Future Directions
Using advertisements targeted for participant
pool
Using products and brands participants may be
familiar with
Having participants view advertisements more
than once

Questions