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Visual Gender and Its Motivational and Cognitive Effects – a User Study

Gulz, Agneta LU ; Haake, Magnus LU and Tärning, Betty LU (2008) In Lund University Cognitive Studies 137.
Abstract
Cognitive and motivational effects of more neutral or androgynous-looking virtual characters versus more pronouncedly feminine-looking or masculine-looking virtual characters are explored. In a user study, 158 students aged 17-19 encountered four virtual characters that were visually manipulated to represent gender stereotypicality versus androgyny. One aim was to explore students’ attitudes towards the different characters as seen in how they ranked them as preferred presenters and how they articulated their arguments for doing so. Another aim was to look for patterns as to which character(s) influenced female and male students most posi-tively with respect to their attitudes towards a university level computer engineering programme. The... (More)
Cognitive and motivational effects of more neutral or androgynous-looking virtual characters versus more pronouncedly feminine-looking or masculine-looking virtual characters are explored. In a user study, 158 students aged 17-19 encountered four virtual characters that were visually manipulated to represent gender stereotypicality versus androgyny. One aim was to explore students’ attitudes towards the different characters as seen in how they ranked them as preferred presenters and how they articulated their arguments for doing so. Another aim was to look for patterns as to which character(s) influenced female and male students most posi-tively with respect to their attitudes towards a university level computer engineering programme. The combina-tion of these two aims allowed us to compare more conscious and articulated with less conscious and unarticu-lated, user responses. Results from the study are presented and discussed. We conclude by pointing towards future research and applications. (Less)
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author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
femininity, visual design, masculinity, educational choice, computer engineering, androgynities, gender, Virtual characters
in
Lund University Cognitive Studies
volume
137
publisher
Lund University Cognitive Studies
ISSN
1101-8453
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
9c7c3ba1-72b7-49c9-8d9b-19a6a5937602 (old id 940081)
alternative location
http://www.lucs.lu.se/ftp/pub/LUCS_Studies/LUCS137.pdf
date added to LUP
2016-04-04 09:33:52
date last changed
2018-11-21 20:54:00
@article{9c7c3ba1-72b7-49c9-8d9b-19a6a5937602,
  abstract     = {{Cognitive and motivational effects of more neutral or androgynous-looking virtual characters versus more pronouncedly feminine-looking or masculine-looking virtual characters are explored. In a user study, 158 students aged 17-19 encountered four virtual characters that were visually manipulated to represent gender stereotypicality versus androgyny. One aim was to explore students’ attitudes towards the different characters as seen in how they ranked them as preferred presenters and how they articulated their arguments for doing so. Another aim was to look for patterns as to which character(s) influenced female and male students most posi-tively with respect to their attitudes towards a university level computer engineering programme. The combina-tion of these two aims allowed us to compare more conscious and articulated with less conscious and unarticu-lated, user responses. Results from the study are presented and discussed. We conclude by pointing towards future research and applications.}},
  author       = {{Gulz, Agneta and Haake, Magnus and Tärning, Betty}},
  issn         = {{1101-8453}},
  keywords     = {{femininity; visual design; masculinity; educational choice; computer engineering; androgynities; gender; Virtual characters}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Lund University Cognitive Studies}},
  series       = {{Lund University Cognitive Studies}},
  title        = {{Visual Gender and Its Motivational and Cognitive Effects – a User Study}},
  url          = {{http://www.lucs.lu.se/ftp/pub/LUCS_Studies/LUCS137.pdf}},
  volume       = {{137}},
  year         = {{2008}},
}