From Damsels in Distress to Sexy Superheroes

Abstract

Video games are an important form of media that have the potential to impact gender role attitudes. Sexist portrayals of characters may affect gender behaviors and attitudes. As such, it is important to discover how characters, particularly females, are portrayed in video games. The current study examined video game magazines analyzing the portrayal of female video game characters and how this portrayal has changed in the last twenty years. Results indicate a growing trend toward a decreased benevolent sexism portrayal and an increase in a hostile sexism portrayal over time.

Keywords::

• gender
• ambivalent sexism
• video games
• sex role attitudes

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Alicia Summers

Alicia Summers is a student at the University of Nevada, Reno. E-mail: [email protected]

Monica K. Miller

Monica K. Miller is an associate professor of Criminal Justice and Interdisciplinary Social Psychology at the University of Nevada, Reno. E-mail: [email protected]