CONSUMER RESPONSE TO SEX ROLE PORTRAYALS IN ADVERTISEMENTS: Effects of Incongruity and Prejudices on Emotions and Attitudes

Abstract

This study investigates how male and female consumers in the Czech Republic respond to sex role portrayals in advertisements for a fictional cell phone service. Special emphasis is placed on integrating consumer prejudices and emotions into an incongruity-resolution framework. Prejudices were found to moderate effects of sex role incongruity on the emotional dimensions approval and disapproval. Surprise, the third emotional dimension, was directly affected by role incongruity. Downstream effects included positive (approval) and negative (disapproval, surprise) influences on attitude toward the ad. Extensions into other cultural settings and more in-depth examinations of the elaboration and processing paths, including effects on memory, are suggested for future research.