Conscious Bias in YouTube Video Evaluations: The Role of Gender and Attire on Effectiveness, Credibility, and Physiological Responses

Abstract This study examines the impact of gender and attire on audience perceptions of YouTube video presenters, specifically in terms of effectiveness, credibility, attention, and arousal. Participants evaluated male and female presenters appearing in videos dressed in either formal or casual attire. The results revealed a notable gender bias: male presenters received higher mean ratings than females. However, physiological measures did not show clear gender differences in the indices assessed; thus, the self-report pattern was not accompanied by corresponding differences in these physiological measures. Formal clothing improved evaluations for all presenters, with a particularly pronounced effect for male presenters. These findings underscore the significant role of gender and attire in shaping audience perceptions in social media and highlight the need to establish standardized evaluation criteria to address gender bias. Establishing such criteria could promote fairer assessments and foster more equitable opportunities for presenters in professional and educational YouTube contexts.