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Sex roles in instructional materials: testing the stereotypes
Studies in Family Planning
|August 1, 1982
Summary
Pictorial health pamphlets are more effective when men are shown in caretaking roles. This nontraditional portrayal of men as co-caretakers did not affect information credibility and increased user preference in Mexico.
Area of Science:
- Health Communication
- Social Psychology
- Instructional Design
Background:
- Traditional gender roles in health education materials can limit engagement.
- Pictorial pamphlets are crucial for health and child care education in developing regions.
- Understanding audience reception to diverse gender role portrayals is essential.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the impact of portraying men in nontraditional sex roles in health education materials.
- To evaluate the influence of these portrayals on information credibility and user preference.
- To explore implications for health education strategies in developing countries.
Main Methods:
- A comparative research study was conducted in rural and periurban Mexico.
- Two versions of an oral rehydration salts (ORS) pictorial pamphlet were used.
- Cognitive and behavioral findings were collected from study participants.
Main Results:
- Portraying men in nontraditional caretaking roles in ORS pamphlets did not diminish technical information credibility.
- A significantly higher number of participants preferred the pamphlet version showing the father as a co-caretaker.
- Unexpected findings suggest a positive reception to evolving gender roles in health education.
Conclusions:
- Instructional materials can depict men in nontraditional roles without compromising technical accuracy.
- Engaging fathers as co-caretakers in health education is a preferred and effective strategy.
- These findings have significant implications for designing motivational health communication globally.