The aim of this study was to investigate whether males and females utilise different processing strategies in response to road safety advertisements. Specifically, this study was designed to assess whether females utilise a more comprehensive information processing strategy than males and whether males select cues from advertisements to base their judgements on. A sample of 167 seventh form students from five schools in Otago was taken, which included 84 (50.3%) females and 83 (49,7%) males. The students viewed the drink driving advertisement called "Lipstick" about three girls and one boy in a car, on their way to a party and then reach an accident scene. After watching the advertisement, the students were asked to list all of the thoughts they had while watching the advertisement and then to respond to a self-completion questionnaire that assessed drink-driving behaviour. The though-listing technique has been found by previous studies to effectively assess people's cognitive responses. The main findings from this report support the first two hypotheses, that females would generate a greater number of thoughts in relation to the advertisement than males, as well as generate a greater number of content-related thoughts. It does not support the hypothesis that males would generate a greater number of context (cue) related thoughts in response to the advertisement. Therefore, there is some support for previous findings that females are more comprehensive information processors. In relation to males, the findings remain inconclusive and further research is needed to determine the strategy that is used by males to process information. Another interesting finding is the possibility that more females are drinking and driving. More research is needed in the area of road safety and gender differences. If road safety advertisements are able to appeal to the processing strategies used by males and females then they could be more effective at producing a positive change in attitude and behaviour. (A)
Abstract