The Gender Gap

ABSTRACT Prior research suggested that males are more selective information processors and females are more detailed processors, but effects on advertising attention and attitudes have been largely unstudied. In particular, mere-exposure effects (more favorable attitudes with little or no advertising attention) are expected to be more pronounced for males than for females, due to less comprehensive heuristic processing by males. Furthermore, gender differences in hemispheric (brain) processing are predicted, with males expected to have more favorable attitudes from advertisements on the left of the page and females expected to have more favorable attitudes from advertisements on the right of the page. Hypothesized marketing outcomes are generally supported. Management implications are discussed.