An investigation into the relationship between clothing colors and gender stereotyping in children

Zhebin Xue, Qing Li, Jian Zhao and Xianyi Zeng

Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 2024, vol. 76, issue C

Abstract: This paper investigates the relationship between children's clothing color and gender stereotyping, as well as the underlying mechanisms. Sample colors were chosen based on their representativeness and prevalence, and characterized using the HSB (Hue-Saturation-Brightness) color model. Through sensory experiments, it is found that most colors have varying degrees of gender association. The paper explores the general principle of how gender stereotyping is induced from the perspective of the CMY color theory and analyzes the relationship between color brightness, saturation, and gender stereotyping by establishing regressional models. It is also found that the formation of gender stereotypes in children's clothing is related to people's different expectations for the temperament and behavior patterns of children of different genders through perceptual experiments. Understanding the gender tendencies conveyed by colors can offer designers guidance in the application of colors when creating products targeted at specific markets characterized by different gender cognitive inclinations. Besides, the findings of the study will inform future research in the fields of clothing psychology and children's gender cognition education.

Keywords: Gender stereotyping; Children's clothing; Color model; Perceptual analysis; Color temperament (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:joreco:v:76:y:2024:i:c:s0969698923003107

DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2023.103559

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