Text is gendered: the role of letter case

This research investigates the association between letter case and perception of gender. We propose that referents are judged as more feminine (vs. masculine) when their names are written with lowercase (vs. uppercase) letters. This effect emerges independent of differences in the size in which the...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inMarketing letters Vol. 32; no. 2; pp. 179 - 190
Main Authors Kim, Aekyoung, Maglio, Sam J.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published New York Springer US 01.06.2021
Springer Nature B.V
Subjects
Business and Management
Conceptual metaphor
Gender identity
Inference
Linguistics
Marketing
Masculinity
Referents
Self concept
Letter case
Conceptual metaphor
Gender
Language
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Summary:This research investigates the association between letter case and perception of gender. We propose that referents are judged as more feminine (vs. masculine) when their names are written with lowercase (vs. uppercase) letters. This effect emerges independent of differences in the size in which the letters appear and cannot be fully explained by differences in angularity. We further identify that evaluations of feminine (vs. masculine) objects become more favorable upon presenting their names in lowercase (vs. uppercase) letters. This association between gender and letter case is more pronounced for referents with a clear gender identity (e.g., fragrances and not vacuums). By first identifying and then exploring consequences of the novel link between letter case and gender, the present investigation contributes to research on linguistics, inference, and conceptual associations while also providing insights as to how to construct communication tools most effectively.
ISSN:0923-0645
1573-059X
DOI:10.1007/s11002-021-09556-w