Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Gender Responses to Emotional Appeals in Advertising: Comparing Self-Reports and Facial Expressions

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Advances in Advertising Research (Vol. XI)

Part of the book series: European Advertising Academy ((EAA))

Abstract

Emotional appeals in advertising represent one of the most frequently used creative strategies. Considering that their effectiveness lies on consumers’ subjective reactions to emotions, understanding gender differences in affective responses can form the basis for the development of successful advertising messages. Prior research has highlighted various gender reactions across different emotional appeals in advertising. For instance, women appear to be more receptive towards subtle advertisements that appeal to warmth and affection, while men are more positive towards aggressive, violent and provocative advertisements.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Aaker, D. A., & Bruzzone, D. E. (1981). Viewer perceptions of prime-time television advertising. Journal of Advertising Research,21(5), 15–23.

    Google Scholar 

  • Aaker, D. A., & Stayman, D. M. (1989). What mediates the emotional response to advertising? The case of warmth. In P. Cafferata & A. M. Tybout (Eds.), Cognitive and affective responses to advertising (pp. 287–304). Lexinton: Lexington.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bakan, D. (1966). The duality of human existence. Chicago: Rand McNally.

    Google Scholar 

  • Baumeister, R. F., Vohs, K. D., & Funder, D. C. (2007). Psychology as the science of self-reports and finger movements: Whatever happened to actual behavior? Perspectives on Psychological Science,2(4), 396–403.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Berkowitz, L. (1993). Aggression: Its causes, consequences, and control. New York: McGraw-Hill.

    Google Scholar 

  • Cacioppo, J. T., & Petty, R. E. (1985). Physiological responses and advertising effects: Is the cup half full or half empty? Psychology & Marketing,2(2), 115–126.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coke, J. S., Batson, D. C., & McDavis, K. (1978). Empathic mediation of helping: A two-stage model. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,36(7), 752–766.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Danner, L., Sidorkina, L., Joechl, M., & Duerrschmid, K. (2014). Make a face! Implicit and explicit measurement of facial expressions elicited by orange juices using face reading technology. Food Quality and Preference,32(Part B), 167–172.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eagly, A. H. (1987). Sex differences in social behavior: A social-role interpretation. Hillsdale: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eagly, A. H., Wood, W., & Diekman, A. B. (2000). Social role theory of sex differences and similarities: A current appraisal. In T. Eckes & H. M. Trautner (Eds.), The developmental social psychology of gender (pp. 123–174). New York: Psychology Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ekman, P., & Friesen, W. V. (1978). The facial action coding system. Palo Alto: Consulting Psychologists Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Fischer, A. H., & Manstead, A. S. R. (2000). The relation between gender and emotions in different cultures. In A. H. Fischer (Ed.), Gender and emotion: Social psychological perspectives (pp. 71–94). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Fisher, R. J., & Dube, L. (2005). Gender differences in responses to emotional advertising: A social desirability perspective. Journal of Consumer Research,31(4), 850–858.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gallois, C., & Callan, V. J. (1986). Decoding emotional messages: Influence of ethnicity, sex, message type, and channel. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,51(4), 755–762.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Geuens, M., & De Pelsmacker, P. (1998). Need for Cognition and the Moderating Role of the Intensity of Warm and Humorous Advertising Appeals. Asia Pacific Advances in Consumer Research,3, 74–80.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grossman, M., & Wood, W. (1993). Sex differences in intensity of emotional experience: A social role interpretation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,65(5), 1010–1022.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hamelin, N., El Moujahid, O., & Thaichon, P. (2017). Emotion and advertising effectiveness: A novel facial expression analysis approach. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services,36(C), 103–111.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hess, U., SenĂ©cal, S., Kirouac, G., Herrera, P., Philippot, P., & Kleck, R. E. (2000). Emotional expressivity in men and women: Stereotypes and self-perceptions. Cognition & Emotion,14(5), 609–642.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hochschild, A. R. (1975). The sociology of feeling and emotion: Selected possibilities. In M. Millman & R. M. Kantor (Eds.), Another voice: Feminist perspectives on social life and social science (pp. 208–307). New York: Anchor Books.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoffman, R. M., Hattie, J. A., & Borders, D. L. (2005). Personal Definitions of Masculinity and Femininity as an Aspect of Gender Self-Concept. Journal of Humanistic Counseling, Education, and Development,44(1), 66–83.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Holbrook, M. B., & Rajeev, B. (1987). Assessing the role of emotions as mediators of consumer responses to advertising. Journal of Consumer Research,14(3), 404–420.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • LaFrance, M., & Banaji, M. (1992). Toward a reconsideration of the gender-emotion relationship. In M. S. Clark (Ed.), Emotion and social behavior (pp. 178–201). Thousand Oaks: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewinski, P., Fransen, M. L., & Tan, Ed. S. H. (2014). Predicting advertising effectiveness by facial expressions in response to amusing persuasive stimuli. Journal of Neuroscience, Psychology and Economics,7(1), 1–14.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maccoby, E. E., & Maccoby, N. (1954). The interview: A tool of social science. In L. Gardner (Ed.), Handhook of social psychology (Vol. I, pp. 449–487). Cambridge: Addison-Wesley.

    Google Scholar 

  • McRae, K., Ochsner, K. N., Mauss, I. B., Gabrieli, J. J. D., & Gross, J. J. (2008). Gender differences in emotion regulation: An fMRI study of cognitive reappraisal. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations,11(2), 143–162.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meyers-Levy, J., & Sternthal, B. (1991). Gender differences in the use of message cues and judgments. Journal of Marketing Research,28(1), 84–96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Poels, K., & Dewitte, S. (2006). How to capture the heart? Reviewing 20 years of emotion measurement in advertising. Journal of Advertising Research,46(1), 18–37.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prakash, V. (1992). Sex roles and advertising preferences. Journal of Advertising Research,32(3), 43–52.

    Google Scholar 

  • Putrevu, S. (2001). Exploring the origins and information processing differences between men and women: Implications for advertisers. Academy of Marketing Science Review,10(1), 1–13.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schwarz, U., Hoffmann, S., & Katharina, H. (2015). Do men and women laugh about different types of humor? A comparison of satire, sentimental comedy, and comic wit in print ads. Journal of Current Issues & Research in Advertising,36(1), 70–87.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shields, S. A. (2002). Speaking from the heart: Gender and the social meaning of emotion. UK: Cambridge University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Simon, R. W., & Nath, L. E. (2004). Gender and emotion in the United States: Do men and women differ in self-reports of feelings and expressive behavior? American Journal of Sociology,109(5), 1137–1176.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stodel, M. (2015). But what will people think? Getting beyond social desirability bias by increasing cognitive load. International Journal of Market Research,57(2), 313–322.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Swani, K., Weinberger, M. G., & Gulas, C. S. (2013). The impact of violent humor on advertising success: A gender perspective. Journal of Advertising,42(4), 308–319.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang, Y. J., & Minor, M. S. (2008). Validity, reliability, and applicability of psychophysiological techniques in marketing research. Psychology and Marketing,25(2), 197–232.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weinberger, M. G., & Gulas, C. S. (1992). The impact of humor in advertising: A review. Journal of Advertising,21(4), 35–59.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Weinberger, M. G., Swani, K., Yoon, H. J., & Gulas, C. S. (2016). Understanding responses to comedic advertising aggression: The role of vividness and gender identity. International Journal of Advertising,36(4), 562–587.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wood, W., & Rhodes, N. (1992). Sex differences in interaction style in task groups. In C. L. Ridgeway (Ed.), Gender, interaction, and inequality (pp. 97–121). New York: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Business Administration, University of Macedonia, Thessaloniki, Greece

    Eirini Tsichla, Maria C. Voutsa, Kostoula Margariti & Leonidas Hatzithomas

Authors
  1. Eirini Tsichla
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Maria C. Voutsa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Kostoula Margariti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Leonidas Hatzithomas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Eirini Tsichla .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. IMC Krems, Krems an der Donau, Austria

    Martin K. J. Waiguny

  2. Center for Retailing, Stockholm School of Economics, Stockholm, Sweden

    Sara Rosengren

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2021 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH, part of Springer Nature

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Tsichla, E., Voutsa, M.C., Margariti, K., Hatzithomas, L. (2021). Gender Responses to Emotional Appeals in Advertising: Comparing Self-Reports and Facial Expressions. In: Waiguny, M.K.J., Rosengren, S. (eds) Advances in Advertising Research (Vol. XI). European Advertising Academy. Springer Gabler, Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-32201-4_17

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation