Examining the Role of Sexism in Perceptions of Female Virtual Representations

• In Event: Sexting, Sexual Selfies, and Sexism in Social Media Contexts

Abstract

Perceptions of credibility and social potential are influenced by clothing choice, even when the source is a computer-generated representation. To test the extent to which personality traits influence perceived social potential of virtual representations and the attributions of the source and message, this study presented participants (N = 397) with a message about dating or job interviews presented by a virtual woman in either context-appropriate or context-inappropriate clothing. Causal modeling techniques revealed that both the perceived appropriateness of clothing and participant perceptions of virtual female representations influenced attributions of source and message quality. Participants higher on sexism rated the representations as less human (anthropomorphic) and less credible, suggesting a dehumanization of female representations consistent with objectification theory. In turn, lower perceptions of anthropomorphism diminished perceived realism, which decreased credibility and the perceived quality of the advice. Implications for understanding the role of sexism on perceptions of virtual representations such as avatars and agents and the influence on communication are discussed.

Authors

• Kristine L. Nowak, U of Connecticut

• Jesse Fox, Ohio State U

• Yerina S. Ranjit, U of Connecticut