Exposure to explicit sexual media impacts men's perceptions of women's motives for sexual intercourse [abstract]

Abstract

Previous studies have shown that exposure to sexually explicit media can influence males' attitudes toward sex and their sexual partners, their behaviors, and their emotions. Researchers found increased aggression towards women when men were exposed to sexually explicit media. Other studies have shown that exposure to pornography leads to insensitivity towards victims of sexual violence, and stronger approval towards premarital sex, extramarital sex, and numerous sexual partners. In the current study, we argue that attitudinal and behavioral changes may originate in part from males' skewed perception of female sex motives. We surveyed male students enrolled in a Human Sexuality course weekly in a 3 month diary study. At pretest, participants reported on their lifetime sexual experiences, lifetime exposure to sexually explicit materials, and female sex motives. Weekly follow-ups tracked sexual experiences, sexually explicit media exposure, and perceptions of female motives for sex. In a multi-level model, we will examine the gamma estimate (analogous to a regression beta) of the link each week between men's media exposure and their ratings of 5 types of female motives for sex (intimacy, enhancement, please partner, power/control, and coping/affirmation). We expect that men's perceptions of female motives will be more unrealistic in men who view more pornography relative to men who view less. We also expect to find interactions with sexual experience such that experienced men are less influenced by sexually explicit media exposure relative to virgins.