Sexual Priming: The Influence Of Advertisements

People are constantly on their social media in this day and age. Facebook has become quite the trend. On Facebook, viewers will click on profiles and will notice the profiles all have advertisements on them. Sexual priming, a defined as stereotyping and categorizing depending on physical aspects is the center of this study. When looking at a generic profile accompanied by categorized advertisements, what will be the impression given off to viewers? In a study conducted by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc. experimental data was collected and it was shown that when someone was presented with a more sexualized image, this person was more inclined to desire the other person sexually (Birnbaum1, Moran Mizrahi1, Kaplan1, Kadosh1, Kariv1, Tabib1, Ziv1, Sadeh1, & Burban, 2017).

In a second study, different incentives were offered after the participant was shown advertisements. Some advertisements included beer and coffee. If the participant was presented with an advertisement from a bar, the participant would more than likely choose the alcoholic incentive rather than the coffee shop. (Alhabash, McAlister, Kim, Lou, Cunningham, Quilliam & Richards, 2016) These studies, along with others, have one thing in common: Ads do have an effect on the way viewers see other profiles; Visuals do influence the decisions and judgments people make. Sexual arousal can stem from different senses –sight, smell, taste, touch, sound- here, the focus will be sight. Sight affects how people perceive certain images. Advertisements are used to collect data on the effect they cause to the perception viewers have on a Facebook page; Similarly, using previous studies, it can be predicted that there is a strong positive correlation between the type of ad and the type of mentality which implies that the way people see different profiles depends on what images are depicted not what content is present.

Staying on topic with Facebook advertisements, beer ads are shown to be positive images in the sense that the model holding the liquor is happy smiling or provocative. This shows that alcohol consumption has some kind of positive connotation to it. In the study, Saw It on Facebook, Drank It at the Bar! Effects of Exposure to Facebook Alcohol Ads on Alcohol- Related Behaviors, advertisements on beer on Facebook were proven to be related to the desire for an alcohol related incentive because of how the advertisement was presented. (Alhabash, McAlister, Kim, Lou, Cunningham, Quilliam & Richards, 2016) Advertisements are usually pictures which entice the viewer to do something or to want something. In the article, Sex Unleashes Your Tongue: Sexual Priming Motivates Self-Disclosure to a New Acquaintance and Interest in Future Interactions, it is shown that activation of sexual senses affects the relationship initiation process. (Birnbaum1, Moran Mizrahi1, Kaplan1, Kadosh1, Kariv1, Tabib1, Ziv1, Sadeh1, & Burban, 2017). By thinking about a person in a sexual way, it can be concluded that this person will be more inclined towards a relationship with this other individual – whether it be sexual or not. Not only this but stimulating sexual stimuli can also make partners more open to one another and open for further interaction (Birnbaum1, Moran Mizrahi1, Kaplan1, Kadosh1, Kariv1, Tabib1, Ziv1, Sadeh1, & Burban, 2017).

According to a study conducted on videos and music, there exists four instances when sexualization occurs, “(1) a person’s value comes from her sexual appeal and not from other characteristics; (2) a person’s attractiveness is inextricably tied to her sexual appeal; (3) a person is sexually objectified, i. e. , made into a thing for others’ sexual use; and/or (4) a person has sexuality inappropriately” (Aubrey, Gamble, & Hahn, 2016) In other words, when presented a Facebook profile with sexual ads, sexual appeal will spark and eventually this person will be sexualized. Here we explore the sight and sound senses together to prove the same thing. Es shown, videos watched, These studies serve as examples for how sexual priming occurs based on sight –images- and sound –music videos and songs. Humans are naturally inclined to engage in sexual behaviors when presented with a sexual image, sound or video. Whether that sexual behavior consists of thoughts, actions or inclinations, it is nonetheless sexual.

The last study of this paper, to further prove the point that Facebook ads on a gender neutral profile does affect the viewer’s opinion on the person, is called, “When sex primes love: Subliminal sexual priming motivates relationship goal pursuit. ” (Gillath, Mikulincer, Birnbaum, & Shaver, 2008) Just as the study where images inclined viewers to be more open to a relationship, this study proves just that once again. In this study cognitive behavior and self-report measures were taken in order to establish the correlation between both the sexual images and the sexualized thoughts (Gillath, Mikulincer, Birnbaum, & Shaver, 2008). Another instance would be that gender identity is more prevalent when responding to sexual priming. (Hundhammer & Mussweiler, 2012) In other words, when judging oneself or another for gender identity –like gender was judged on Riley Washington’s profile- sexual priming comes into play. When asked to judge Riley Washington’s post, viewers were requested to select Riley’s gender, as said in the study, “How Sex Puts You in Gendered Shoes: Sexuality-Priming Leads to Gender-Based Self-Perception and Behavior,” women are more closely associated with tenderness and men with assertiveness. This has a direct effect on sexual priming and judgment. Gender could be assumed depending on the interpretations taken by the viewer. Finally, the three primary predictions can be established well with observations and research as proof. First, we predict that participants who see sexualized advertisements accompanying a fake Facebook profile will view the Facebook user in a more sexualized manner (more flirtatious, seductive, sexy and provocative) than participants who see romance or educational advertisements. Second, we predict that participants who see romance advertisements accompanying the fake Facebook profile will view the Facebook user romantically (more sensitive, kind, tender, and sentimental) than participants who see sexualized or educational advertisements. Third, when shown an educational advertisement the participant will interpret the profile as more outgoing and less sexy or provocative.