Effect of Sex of Subject on Recall of Gender-Stereotyped Magazine Advertisements
The effect of gender on recall of details in stereotypically male-or female-related magazine advertisements was tested. 20 male and 20 female subjects were shown 4 advertisements (2 stereotypically female-related ads and 2 stereotypically male-related ads), one at a time, for 5 sec. each. Each subject was then asked to recall details from each advertisement. Gender differences in verbal ability were determined by administering the Wide Range Vocabulary Test prior to the experiment. The main effect of sex of subject and the interaction of sex of subject and type of advertisement significantly affected the number of details recalled. Females recalled more details over-all. Males recalled more details from the male-related advertisements, while females recalled an equal number of details from both advertisements. The effect of the women's liberation movement on males' and females' recall of the advertisements is discussed. Suggestions are made for advertisers and directions for future research are discussed.