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How rock music videos can change what is seen when boy meets girl: Priming stereotypic appraisal of social interactions

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Abstract

An experiment demonstrated the capacity of sex role stereotyped portrayals of women and men found in popular rock music videos to alter impressions formed of a man and a woman who subsequently were seen interacting. The results indicated that stereotypic rock music videos increased the accessibility of (i.e., primed) sex role stereotypic schemas, dramatically changing impressions of the interactants. Of particular interest were judgments of skill, indicating that impressions formed by subjects who had watched sex role stereotypic videos, but not by those who had watched neutral videos, seemed guided by the principles of chivalry: droit de seiquneur for her and noblesse oblige for him. A process whereby rock music videos perpetuate sex role stereotypes was described.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Department of Psychology, Oakland University, 48309-4401, Rochester, Michigan

    Christine H. Hansen & Ranald D. Hansen

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  1. Christine H. Hansen
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  2. Ranald D. Hansen
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The authors are indebted to M. Kaseta and M. McCliment who served as the actors, and to C. Alexander, G. Bause, M. Case, K. Glassco, J. Grauer, K. Hannula, S. King, F. Kirsch, J. Minor, G. Rinehart, A. Saghy, D. Schnering, J. Sweeney, and R. Unakar who served as experimenters.

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Hansen, C.H., Hansen, R.D. How rock music videos can change what is seen when boy meets girl: Priming stereotypic appraisal of social interactions. Sex Roles 19, 287–316 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00289839

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