Different Ways of 'Seeing': How Gender Differences in Information Processing Influence the Content Analysis of Narrative Texts

Pamela Kiecker*, Kay M. Palan, Charles S. Areni

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

16 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This manuscript examines the potential of bias in qualitative research due to coder gender. It reports a study of gender differences in coding by males and females based on a coding assignment involving written narratives completed by 18 males and 17 females. The study found gender differences in their coding the presence/absence of 10 themes related to gift exchanges and three gender role concepts, as well as differences in intercoder reliabilities based on gender composition of coder pairs. For several hypotheses, differences were opposite those predicted. The surprising findings suggest the complexity of qualitative data and emphasize the need for greater care in its analysis. Specific recommendations are made for researchers using qualitative data, and suggestions for future research are provided.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)49-65
Number of pages17
JournalMarketing Letters
Volume11
Issue number1
Publication statusPublished - 2000

Keywords

  • Coder effects
  • Gender differences
  • Qualitative data

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