Sex Appeal in Advertising: What Consumers Think

Abstract

This study examined consumers’ attitude toward the use of sexual content in advertisements among there different cultural groups; i.e., individualistic sample (White American), collectivistic sample (US temporal visitors from Asia), and acculturation sample (Asian immigrants). Sixty participants were asked about cultural acceptability of sexual content ads and the favorable attitude toward those ads by using Q-methodology. Asian participants reported less cultural acceptability for sexuality, than either Asian American or North American participants. The findings also revealed that North Americans are more likely to prefer the use of sexual content in advertisement than Asians. Asian-American participants agreed with North American participants in regard to sexually explicit advertising. Implications and limitations were discussed.

KEYWORDS:

• acculturation
• advertising
• collectivism
• consumer attitude
• culture individualism
• sexual content

The author dedicates this study to Dr. William (Bill) Frederickson, PhD, from the Department of Psychology, University of Central Oklahoma, USA, who recently passed away.