Sex Sells? Two Experiments Testing Exposure to Sexualized Female Video Game Characters on Purchase Intention

Two experiments tested the effects of sexual appeals on video game purchase intention. Study 1 examined the interplay of character gender and sexualization, revealing participants,’ especially women participants,’ stronger purchase intention for a non-sexualized female character than a sexualized one. In Study 2, we utilized the reasoned action approach and found that exposure to a non-sexualized female character was associated with stronger purchase intention through perceived competence, attitudes toward and norms about purchasing the video game. Overall, women participants showed stronger purchase intention with non-sexualized characters than sexualized ones, while men’s purchase intention remained unchanged after exposure to sexual appeals.