Breaking or reinforcing stereotypes? The role of expertise and toxic attitude in live-streaming context

Abstract

Social media is experiencing a rapid diversification of entertainment content, reshaping individual perceptions and the social construction of gender roles and stereotypes. Gaming-related content is now prevalent across asynchronous (e.g., YouTube) and synchronous (e.g., Twitch) platforms. However, the enduring male predominance in this field continues to reproduce gendered representations, reinforcing stereotypes that portray female content creators as less suited to gaming and lacking competitiveness or technical expertise. This study will be conducted on 128 participants and adopts a 2x2 between-subjects experimental design to examine how expertise and toxic attitude influence stereotypes toward female gaming content creators. The protocol integrates neurophysiological measures to assess engagement and implicit responses, alongside survey data capturing how different conditions affect perceptions of female gamers. Based on theoretical expectations, it is hypothesized that the absence of expertise will strengthen stereotypes of female gamers, whereas an toxic attitude may reduce them. When expertise and toxicity co-occur, however, the stereotype is expected to be disrupted, revealing a complex interplay between competence, behavior, and social judgment. The expected results will offer insights into how gender stereotypes in gaming are constructed, deepening understanding of how social media reshapes female representation in digital cultures.