The High Cost of Accepting Sex in Advertising

Free AI web copilot to create summaries, insights and extended knowledge, download it at here

2117

Abstract

s watches that cost $10 or$ 1,250. Some of the ads had sexually-explicit images with the watch, while others displayed the products with a nature scene of mountains. Participants were asked for their snap judgments about the ads and researchers found that when coupled with a $10 watch, women were more likely to experience negative feelings about them — from being unpleasantly surprised to downright disgusted. On the other hand, they didn’t have this reaction at all when viewing a sexual advertisement for the$ 1,250 watch.</p><figure id="6879"><img src="https://cdn-images-1.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:800/1*kACgd_mCCJSh5s08tWHtTQ.jpeg"><figcaption>Photo by <a href="https://depositphotos.com/portfolio-2944823.html?content=photo">Slava_14</a> on <a href="https://depositphotos.com/43023187/stock-photo-sexy-brunette-in-fur-coat.html">DepositPhotos</a></figcaption></figure><p id="8421">Researchers found that men’s reactions to the ads with sex in them were the same despite the cost of the products. In addition, women’s reactions to the mountain photos were the same for both the cheap and expensive watches.</p><p id="0473" type="7">“The use of sexual imagery is inimical to women’s vested interest in sex being portrayed as infrequent, special, and rare.”</p><p id="6c42">Although Vohs and her colleagues anticipated that women’s attitudes about sexual ads would change based on the price of the product being sold, she says they were still surprised that their prediction was proven true.</p><p id="4aa5">“We were able to get these effects even when participants weren’t actually in a purchasing scenario. Just a quick exposure to an ad was enough for theories of sexual economics to kick in,” Vohs said. “This suggests that the process happens at a deep, intuitive level.”</p><p id="2aa9"><b><i>More from Kiki Wellington:</i></b></p><div id="2bab" class="link-block"> <a href="https://readmedium.com/how-do-consumers-really-respond-to-sex-in-advertising-a45766084925"> <div> <div> <h2>How Do Consumers Really Respond to Sex in Advertising?</h2>

Options

      <div><h3>Sex doesn’t sell as much as we may think</h3></div>
            <div><p>medium.com</p></div>
          </div>
          <div>
            <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*5ImQC36GJhBanjVa1vEIfw.jpeg)"></div>
          </div>
        </div>
      </a>
    </div><div id="ef87" class="link-block">
      <a href="https://readmedium.com/relationship-insecurity-puts-a-high-value-on-material-possessions-98cd0c865f85">
        <div>
          <div>
            <h2>Quickie: The High Cost of Relationship Insecurity</h2>
            <div><h3>When your romance is rocky, you may put more value on your stuff</h3></div>
            <div><p>medium.com</p></div>
          </div>
          <div>
            <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*KudXxphhvzWdXmmxmfw3Tw.jpeg)"></div>
          </div>
        </div>
      </a>
    </div><div id="b33e" class="link-block">
      <a href="https://readmedium.com/how-do-people-feel-about-buying-adult-products-d55802a44382">
        <div>
          <div>
            <h2>How Do People Feel About Buying Adult Products?</h2>
            <div><h3>From excited to embarrassed, people reveal adult purchase emotions</h3></div>
            <div><p>medium.com</p></div>
          </div>
          <div>
            <div style="background-image: url(https://miro.readmedium.com/v2/resize:fit:320/1*X8eDT_AisOL8UpQEQnTDLQ.jpeg)"></div>
          </div>
        </div>
      </a>
    </div><p id="cdec"><b>Source:</b></p><p id="f79f"><i>Women Find Sexually Explicit Ads Unappealing — Unless the Price Is Right</i>. Association for Psychological Science. <a href="https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/releases/women-find-sexually-explicit-ads-unappealing-unless-the-price-is-right.html">https://www.psychologicalscience.org/news/releases/women-find-sexually-explicit-ads-unappealing-unless-the-price-is-right.html</a></p></article></body>

How price tags influence whether women will tolerate overt sex in product ads

Conventional wisdom tells us that sex sells, but research tells us that when advertisements are too overtly sexual, it turns women off.

Unless the price is right.

“Women generally show spontaneous negative attitudes toward sexual images,” researchers Kathleen Vohs, Jaideep Sengupta, and Darren Dahl wrote in a study published in Psychological Science. “Sexual economics theory offers a reason why: The use of sexual imagery is inimical to women’s vested interest in sex being portrayed as infrequent, special, and rare.”

“Just a quick exposure to an ad was enough for theories of sexual economics to kick in.”

However, if the item being sold is considered special and rare — meaning expensive — then women became more relaxed about exposure to sexually explicit advertising.

To determine this, researchers had men and women look at advertisements for women’s watches that cost $10 or $1,250. Some of the ads had sexually-explicit images with the watch, while others displayed the products with a nature scene of mountains. Participants were asked for their snap judgments about the ads and researchers found that when coupled with a $10 watch, women were more likely to experience negative feelings about them — from being unpleasantly surprised to downright disgusted. On the other hand, they didn’t have this reaction at all when viewing a sexual advertisement for the $1,250 watch.

Researchers found that men’s reactions to the ads with sex in them were the same despite the cost of the products. In addition, women’s reactions to the mountain photos were the same for both the cheap and expensive watches.

“The use of sexual imagery is inimical to women’s vested interest in sex being portrayed as infrequent, special, and rare.”

Although Vohs and her colleagues anticipated that women’s attitudes about sexual ads would change based on the price of the product being sold, she says they were still surprised that their prediction was proven true.

“We were able to get these effects even when participants weren’t actually in a purchasing scenario. Just a quick exposure to an ad was enough for theories of sexual economics to kick in,” Vohs said. “This suggests that the process happens at a deep, intuitive level.”

More from Kiki Wellington:

Source: