Evaluation of GenderMag personas based on persona attributes and persona gender

Abstract

We examined personas to see if (a) gendered persona attributes and (b) the persona presentation, i.e. the randomly assigned gender, would affect the perception of the persona. As stimulus material we used the GenderMag personas that were developed to inform the design process regarding empirically validated gender differences. In a 2 × 2 experimental design, 36 participants were randomly assigned to evaluate a male or female GenderMag persona either in its original form or with the gender switched. The results indicate that the facets of gender differences were recognized and recalled by the participants. The masculine facets yielded an attribution of higher competence in the personas. The findings can serve as a basis to further discuss what gender-inclusiveness means with regards to personas.