- WEDNESDAY, May 28 (HealthDay News) — The way that men and women
are portrayed in television commercials can have a major impact on how
people behave in their daily lives, suggests a University of New Hampshire
study.

It found that men, in particular, are influenced by commercials that
more often depict them in a career setting than doing domestic chores.

“Gender is one of the most studied social concepts, as it is the main
standard that people use in determining how to act and interact with
others. Because television advertisements transmit cultural ideas about
gender, they help to socially construct gender. Commercials may affect the
way that people think about their own gender, and contribute to the ongoin
g social stratification of genders in our society,” study author Valerie
Hooper, a graduating senior in sociology, said in a prepared
statement.

She analyzed 1,538 commercials shown on four channels over one week
during primetime viewing (8 to 10 p.m.).

Among Hooper's findings:

• Men are portrayed as the main character of commercials more than
  women — 55. percent vs. 44.5 percent.
• Most commercials featuring women focus on selling home products, such
  as food, cleaners, personal care items and furniture (51.1 percent).
• Men are most likely to be engaged in work behavior in commercials
  (34.2 percent), while women are least likely to depicted working outside
  the home (13.1 percent).
• Only 2.1 percent of commercials showed men doing domestic chores, such
  as cooking, cleaning or caring for children.

“These stereotypes are considered outdated by many members of American
society, yet still continue to pervade the media. These depictions not
only defy the idea that diversity is becoming more accepted in society,
but also completely ignore the fact that it is now a material need for
both men and women to work and perform domestic duties, as most American
families cannot survive on one income alone,” Hooper said.

In the second part of the study, Hooper had a group of university
students watch a number of commercials and then discuss their life goals
for the next five to 10 years.

Males who watched commercials with a male main character in a
traditional, stereotypical male role were more likely to say they favored
life goals related to a career, while males who watched commercials with a
male main character in a non-stereotypical male role were more likely to
favor domestic-related life goals.

While the same trends were noted in females, the results were not as
strong as in the males.

“The subtle implications of gender roles in commercials can influence
self concept and future goals, particularly in the case of males. Although
effects in the study were presumably temporary, one must keep in mind that
individuals watch millions of commercials over the course of their
lifetime,” Hooper said.

She presented the study at the university's recent Undergraduate
Research Conference.

More information

Learn more about gender differences and conflicts at Trinity
University.