Does male beauty really work: The impact of male endorsements on female consumers’ evaluation of female-gender-imaged product

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1041.2022.00192

Abstract

Abstract:

Nowadays, using male spokespersons to endorse female-gender-imaged products has become an important advertising strategy and has penetrated into many female-gender-imaged products, especially thanks to celebrity influence. Does it really work? This paper aims to explore the relationship between the gender of female-gender-imaged product spokesperson and female consumer’s product evaluation. The results of four experiments show that when male spokespersons endorse female-gender-imaged products, female consumers would significantly downgrade their evaluation of the products compared to female spokespersons, which is mediated by a sense of gender-identity threat. In addition, when the participants are manipulated to increase gender affirmation, the main effect would be strengthened. This paper empirically examines the possible negative effect of male endorsement of female-gender-imaged products, expanding the downstream results of product gender attribute research based on gender-identity congruency theory.

Key words: cross-gender endorsement, product evaluation, gender-identity threat, gender affirmation, gender-identity congruency

WANG Lili, DONG Menglu. (2022). Does male beauty really work: The impact of male endorsements on female consumers’ evaluation of female-gender-imaged product. Acta Psychologica Sinica, 54(2), 192-204.

Figures/Tables 9

Figure 1. Main effect of Study 1~3.

Figure 2. Picture of Study 2A.

Figure 3. Mediating role of a sense of gender-identity threat in Study 2A.
Note. * p < 0.05

Figure 4. Picture of Study 2B.

Figure 5. Mediating role of a sense of gender-identity threat in Study 2B.
Note. * p < 0.05

Figure 6. Picture of Study 3.

Figure 7. The moderating effect of gender affirmation on the main effect.

Table 1 Descriptive statistics of female exclusivity of products and results of one-sample t test

Products	M	SD	t	df	p
Lipstick	4.35	1.77	2.00	102	0.048
Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital Service	5.91	1.35	14.37	102	<0.001
Underwear	6.03	1.35	15.30	102	<0.001

Table 2 Descriptive statistics of product privacy and results of one-sample t test

Products	M	SD	t	df	p
Lipstick	2.73	1.63	-7.90	102	<0.001
Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital Service	4.98	1.64	6.07	102	<0.001
Underwear	5.72	1.38	12.68	102	<0.001

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