Gender Stereotypes in Advertising: The impacts of stereotypical portrayals

Abstract

This thesis aims to investigate gender stereotypes in advertising and their effects, including social and brand-related effects. Previous literature is examined to understand what stereotypical gender role portrayal is and how it can affect people’s attitudes, behaviours, and thoughts. The theoretical framework is established based on the literature review, which helped to develop two testable hypotheses: The negative effects of gender stereotypes are more evident in individuals who do not conform to traditional gender stereotypes in advertising than those who do, Individuals from the countries with lower masculinity index respond more negatively to stereotypical gender portrayals in advertising. The research question is: “What are the impacts of gender stereotypes in advertising?”.

The research employed a quantitative method approach, using a survey to collect the data. The survey was conducted to identify the effects of stereotypically portrayed gender roles in ads and test hypotheses. The quantitative analysis which was performed using Microsoft Excel was employed to analyse the survey responses. The results suggest that gender stereotypes in ads can lead to restrictions in professional and personal life, and a lack of self-esteem, confidence, and self-love. The research supports the hypothesis that the negative effects of gender stereotypes are more evident in individuals who do not conform to traditional gender stereotypes than in those who do. However, it does not support that individuals from countries with a lower masculinity index respond more negatively to stereotypical gender portrayals in advertising. Overall, this thesis contributes to the understanding of the impacts of gender stereotypes in advertising on people’s behaviour, thoughts, and attitudes.