Cultural Stereotypes and Sexual Perception; A Multifaceted Content Analysis of Gender, Race, and Interpretative Diversity in popular music videos

This study investigates the perceptions of graduate college women from a multicultural background regarding sexual content in pop music videos, categorizing them as Sex Object, Sex as Power, or Non-Sexual. The research aims to assess the consistency and predictability of participants' perceptions through a qualitative coding system, focusing on statistically significant levels of interrater agreement. Thirty graduated female college participants were recruited through an online method, with an average age of 24.5 years. The participants, primarily, African-American, Middle east, and European and Asian were each exposed to seven pre-selected music videos out of 21, representing different suggested categories. Videos featured female artists or characters, with considerations for gender balance. Participants, motivated by a 200 Euro Amazon gift card, utilized a receiver-oriented content analysis method to report perceptions. Definitions for each category were provided, allowing participants to categorize the videos. Six subscales were employed to gauge perceptions further, assessing aspects like sexual intensity and the representation of women. Results indicated that participants viewed each video an average of 4.9 times, with an average video appeal score of 2.3 on a 4-point Likert scale. Fleiss’ Kappa also employed for assessing the reliability of agreement between a fixed number of raters. These findings underscore the diversity in individual perceptions of sexual content in music videos, challenging assumptions of uniform interpretation. The study emphasizes the need for nuanced analysis and acknowledges that certain videos elicit consensus among viewers, shedding light on the complex landscape of sexual portrayals in popular culture.