Gender Book Genre Test

The Gender Book Genre Test is based on the academic study Aubrey JS, Walus S, Click MA (2010) Twilight and the production of the 21st century teen idol. In: Click MA (ed.) Bitten by Twilight: Youth Culture, Media, & the Vampire Franchise. New York: Peter Lang, pp. 225–242.

The study used as the basis for this test investigates the impact of reader and author genders on book reviews on Goodreads. It explores the well-established gender disparities in book preferences, particularly with regard to genre and author gender, and delves into the underlying reasons for these differences.

The study utilizes data from Goodreads.com, a platform where users can rate and review books, to analyze how reader and author genders influence book evaluations within genres. It uncovers substantial gender-based variations in reviewer ratings across genres, with female reviewers favoring contemporary romance and male reviewers preferring short stories.

Interestingly, the study reveals a consistent pattern of reviewers giving higher ratings to books authored by their own gender, suggesting that gender bias extends beyond the literary establishment. The only exception to this trend is the comic book genre, where male reviewers tend to prefer female authors, despite their relatively low representation in this field.

A word frequency analysis further supports the notion of gendered book preferences. Authors, particularly women, incorporate more references to relationships and romance in mystery and fantasy novels, which aligns with the preferences of female reviewers in these genres.

Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the complex interplay of reader and author genders in shaping book reviews and preferences. It highlights the pervasiveness of gender bias in literary consumption and suggests that authors may cater to these biases in their writing.

This article explores the impact of reader and author genders on book reviews on Goodreads, a popular online platform for book reviews and recommendations. The authors examine the well-established gender disparities in book preferences, particularly with regard to genre and author gender, and delve into the underlying reasons for these differences.

To conduct their study, the researchers analyzed a large dataset of book reviews from Goodreads, encompassing over 1.5 million reviews for 100,000 books. They focused on five genres: contemporary romance, mystery, fantasy, science fiction, and short stories.

Their analysis revealed substantial gender-based variations in reviewer ratings across genres. Female reviewers consistently rated contemporary romance novels more highly than other genres, while male reviewers favored short stories. This pattern held across all age groups and reading habits.

Furthermore, the study found a consistent bias in favor of books authored by reviewers' own gender. For most genres, reviewers gave higher ratings to books written by authors of their own gender, suggesting that gender bias extends beyond the literary establishment and into the realm of everyday book consumption. The only exception to this trend was the comic book genre, where male reviewers exhibited a preference for female authors, despite their relatively low representation in this field.

To investigate the underlying reasons for these gender-based preferences, the researchers conducted a word frequency analysis of book reviews and author descriptions. Their findings indicated that authors, particularly women, incorporate more references to relationships and romance in mystery and fantasy novels, which aligns with the preferences of female reviewers in these genres.

In conclusion, this study provides valuable insights into the complex interplay of reader and author genders in shaping book reviews and preferences. It highlights the pervasiveness of gender bias in literary consumption and suggests that authors may cater to these biases in their writing. The findings also underscore the importance of considering gender as a factor when analyzing book reviews and preferences.

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