Beyond “Pink It and Shrink It” Perceived Product Gender, Aesthetics, and Product Evaluation
Journal
Psychology & Marketing
Type
journal article
Date Issued
2015
Author(s)
Abstract
Marketing research on product personality suggests that products possess gender; however, the process by which a product becomes masculine or feminine is unknown. This research identifies product aesthetics as a source of product masculinity and femininity and investigates the influence of product gender created by aesthetics on consumer behavior. Building on prior work on anthropomorphism and evolutionary psychology (EP), the authors broadly hypothesize that specific physical characteristics identified as representing masculinity and femininity—and thus considered attractive in the mate selection process—will have a similar effect on products. The first study identifies the impact of the aesthetic dimensions of form (proportion, shape, and lines), color (tones, contrast, and reflection), and material (texture, surface, and weight) on defining a product’s gender. The second study shows that products that are strongly gendered, particularly those that are strong in both the masculine and feminine dimensions, result in positive affective and behavioral responses. Thus, this research identifies product aesthetics as a significant source of product gender while highlighting the theoretical contribution of EP to consumer behavior. Managerial implications for product design are then discussed, offering guidelines for creating strongly gendered products.
Language
English
HSG Classification
contribution to scientific community
HSG Profile Area
SoM - Business Innovation
Refereed
Yes
Publisher
Wiley
Volume
32
Number
4
Start page
422
End page
437
Pages
16
Subject(s)
Division(s)
Eprints ID
255124
File(s)![Thumbnail Image]()
open.access
Name
2015 Pink it and Shrink it.pdf
Size
854.75 KB
Format
Adobe PDF
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