Using sport media exposure to promote gender equality: counter-stereotypical gender perceptions and the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup

Vezzali, L. et al. (2023) Using sport media exposure to promote gender equality: counter-stereotypical gender perceptions and the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Group Processes and Intergroup Relations, 26(2), pp. 265-283. (doi: 10.1177/13684302221075691)

Abstract

By relying on literature on counter-stereotypes and media contact, we investigated whether media exposure is associated with counter-stereotypical gender perceptions. Focusing on the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, we recruited samples (N = 2,228) from eight competing countries (China, France, Germany, Italy, Scotland, Spain, England, US) across three continents. We hypothesized that exposure to media coverage of the competition’s counter-stereotypical female exemplars would be associated with increased counter-stereotypical perceptions of women. Results revealed that media exposure was associated with greater communion and agency attributed to women. In turn, communion and agency were associated (negatively and positively, respectively) with attribution of stereotypically male abilities (abilities to engage in stereotypically male academic disciplines and jobs) to women compared to men. No effects emerged for perceptions of stereotypically female characteristics. Gender moderated these effects, with associations being stronger among male than among female respondents. Theoretical and practical implications of findings are discussed.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: De Amicis, Dr Leyla
• Authors: Vezzali, L., Visintin, E. P., Bisagno, E., Bröker, L., Cadamuro, A., Crapolicchio, E., De Amicis, L., Di Bernardo, G. A., Huang, F., Lou, X., Stathi, S., Valor-Segura, I., and Harwood, J.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > School of Education
• Journal Name: Group Processes and Intergroup Relations
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• ISSN: 1368-4302
• ISSN (Online): 1461-7188
• Published Online: 15 February 2022
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2022 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Group Processes and Intergroup Relations 26(2): 265-283
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the publisher copyright policy