Abstract
This experimental study portrayed women in several advertisements in two major conditions. In one, women were portrayed in stereotypical settings with products. Women and men student subjects evaluated a “neutral” female photograph following the experiment, on such traits as aggressiveness, leadership, analytical ability, rationality, and liking for doing complex tasks. After viewing nonstereotypical advertisements, men students rated the neutral woman as higher on these dimensions, but the experiment had little effect on women subjects. The study advises advertisers to avoid portraying women in stereotypical roles.
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