Vertical-Earth

As you consider gender, be careful not to fall into the trap of stereotypes. For example, many people still think of automobiles as a traditionally “male domain,” yet in 1997 females influenced over 80 percent of car purchases.2 Moreover, women tend to be more discriminating buyers. A U.S. News/CNN poil conducted in 1995 reported that women rated safety features, fuel economy, resale value, Consumer Reports ratings, and horsepower as more important factors in their purchasing decisions than did men. In fact, the only factor in the survey that men rated as more important was the color of the car.
Given such rapid changes, is there any way you can use gender as a reliable factor in audience analysis? First, be sure that any differences reported really make a difference. Often the communication differences between genders, while statistically significant, can be so small that they have no practical importance. 3’ Next, be certain that any assumptions you make are based on the most current data available because the differences are often a matter of “floW you see them, now you don’t.” Differences that seem true even as we write may be outdated by the time you read this text. Finally, be careful to avoid sexism and gender stereotyping. These two topics are covered in detail later in this chapter.
I