The Perception of Audience Toward the Portrayal of Gender Use in Local Advertisements Content
The Perception of Audience Toward the Portrayal of Gender Use in Local Advertisements Content.
Abstract
The study investigated audience perception of the portrayal of gender in Nigeria advertisements. The research adopted a survey research design with a sample size of 400 derived from a population of 301,657.
The questionnaire which was the main data collection instrument was structured in a way to sort respondent responses as instruments for data collection. Data collected was analyzed quantitatively.
The result of the study showed that most of the audiences view the use of male and female gender use in advertisement has often being misrepresented as they are portrayed in a different manner as compared to what is being advertised.
The findings of the study further indicated that at average, the audience spends nine(9) minutes in watching and listening to TV advertisements in which male and female gender are portrayed.
It is noted too, that the perception of the audiences toward the use of male and female gender in the advertisement is dependent on individual differences.
It is also noted from the findings that the use of male and female gender in an advertisement are due to various reasons ranging from attracting the attention of the masses toward the product advertised to sex appeal nature of female and male gender.
Introduction
Concern of how people are portrayed in the media has existed since the beginning of all popular media, particularly the electronic media.
Most different groups have been particularly concerned about how people from different age, ethnic, gender and professional groups are shown in media advertisement (Bollinger, 2008; Hazell & Clarke, 2007; Nina-Pazarzi & Tsangaris, 2008).
Perhaps the area that has attracted most research attention has been the portrayal of men and women in television commercial advertisement (Kaufman, 2003).
Although there are several numbers of early studies which has shown how many commercial advertisement has portrayed male and female gender (Dominick & Rauch, 2008; O’Donnell & O’Donnell, 2014).
Most researchers reviewed the use of gender in advertisement and at different points discovered that audiences have different perceptions as regards to gender usage in the advertisement.
Commercial advertising gives meaning to words and images as a result, diffusing the meaning of the massages and belief into the society (Sinclair,2010).
Reference
Arpavadee, J. & Visetbhakdi A. (2014). Losing consciousness: automatic influences on consumer judgment, behavior and motivation. Journal of Consumer Research, 29 (3), 281-285.
Bollinger, C. (2008). The straight dope. Triangle Comic Review, p. 26. Allgeier, E. R. (1987). Coercive versus consensual sexual interactions In. V. P. Makosky (Ed.), The G. Stanley Hall Lecture Series (Vol. 7, pp. 7- 63). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Bower, A. & Landreth, T. (2001). Sex stereotyping in advertising. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books.
Brown, J. D., Campbell, K., & Fisher, L. (1986). American adolescents and music videos: Why do they watch? 9-22
Clarke, M. A. (2007). Four theories of rape in American society. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press.
Basow, S. A. (1992). Gender Stereotypes and roles (3rd ed.). Pacific Grove, CA: Brooks/Cole.
