Gender,Sexual Affect,and Motivations for Internet Pornography Use

ABSTRACT

The Internet has substantially changed the way society consumes pornographic material and as become the most popular venue for this sexual purpose. However, researchers have paid little attention to why people use pornographic material online. Arguing that the use of Internet pornography is a motivated behavior meant to obtain what one wants to see, this study attempts to identify specific motivations for Internet pornography use. In addition, this study analyzes how gender and sexual affect—positive or negative—are associated with motivations for Internet pornography use. Overall, 321 undergraduate students including males and females responded to an online questionnaire. Findings show that motivations behind Internet pornography use can be broken down into four factors—relationship, mood management, habitual use, and fantasy. Males revealed far stronger motivations than females; and those with more erotophilic tendencies were more likely than those with more erotophobic tendencies to be motivated to use Internet pornography for all four motivational factors. The implications of the findings are discussed.     

Attitudes and use of pornography in the Norwegian population 2002

The purpose of this study was to describe and analyze use of pornographic material in a representative sample of adult Norwegians. The data collection was carried out by means of a standardized questionnaire administered via personal telephone interviews. Among the 90% of participants who reported ever having examined pornography, 76% reported examining a pornographic magazine, 67% had watched a pornographic film, and 24% had examined pornography on the Internet. Significant gender differences emerged in the reporting. The percentage of men and women who reported frequent use of pornography was small. We identified three dimensions of attitudes toward pornography: pornography as a means of sexual enhancement, pornography as a moral issue, and social climate. These attitude dimensions were included in path models as intermediating variables between demographic variables (age, gender, and level of education) and frequency of reading or watching pornographic materials. These models explained 36% of the variance in frequency of watching pornographic films, 35% of the variance in frequency of reading pornographic magazines, and 21% of the variance in frequency of watching pornography on the Internet.     

Attitudes and use of pornography in the Norwegian population 2002

The purpose of this study was to describe and analyze use of pornographic material in a representative sample of adult Norwegians. The data collection was carried out by means of a standardized questionnaire administered via personal telephone interviews. Among the 90% of participants who reported ever having examined pornography, 76% reported examining a pornographic magazine, 67% had watched a pornographic film, and 24% had examined pornography on the Internet. Significant gender differences emerged in the reporting. The percentage of men and women who reported frequent use of pornography was small. We identified three dimensions of attitudes toward pornography: pornography as a means of sexual enhancement, pornography as a moral issue, and social climate. These attitude dimensions were included in path models as intermediating variables between demographic variables (age, gender, and level of education) and frequency of reading or watching pornographic materials. These models explained 36% of the variance in frequency of watching pornographic films, 35% of the variance in frequency of reading pornographic magazines, and 21% of the variance in frequency of watching pornography on the Internet.     

Lights,camera, condoms! Assessing college men's attitudes toward condom use in pornography

ABSTRACT

Objective: Investigate male college students' attitudes toward actors' use of condoms in pornography. Participants: Two hundred thirteen undergraduate males attending a large, state-supported midwestern university in the fall semester, 2012. Methods: Using a Web-based procedure, participants completed questionnaires assessing their pornography use, sexual history characteristics, and their attitudes toward condom use by adult performers. Results: Factor analysis of the 11-item condom use attitudes questionnaire supported 2 distinct subscales: Condom Supportive Attitudes and Condom Critical Attitudes. Although participants typically agreed with statements supportive of condom use and generally disagreed with statements critical of condom use in pornography, gay men had significantly higher condom supportive subscale scores than did heterosexual men. Neither subscale was correlated with weekly viewing of pornography. Conclusions: Although some producers of adult films argue that actors wearing condoms will displease many viewers, current findings suggest that young men express support for use of condoms by pornographic film actors.     

Gender (In)equality in Internet Pornography: A Content Analysis of Popular Pornographic Internet Videos

Although Internet pornography is widely consumed and researchers have started to investigate its effects, we still know little about its content. This has resulted in contrasting claims about whether Internet pornography depicts gender (in)equality and whether this depiction differs between amateur and professional pornography. We conducted a content analysis of three main dimensions of gender (in)equality (i.e., objectification, power, and violence) in 400 popular pornographic Internet videos from the most visited pornographic Web sites. Objectification was depicted more often for women through instrumentality, but men were more frequently objectified through dehumanization. Regarding power, men and women did not differ in social or professional status, but men were more often shown as dominant and women as submissive during sexual activities. Except for spanking and gagging, violence occurred rather infrequently. Nonconsensual sex was also relatively rare. Overall, amateur pornography contained more gender inequality at the expense of women than professional pornography did.     

Community standards,conservatism, and judgments of pornography

In an attempt to determine if a community standard existed and to relate judgments of pornography to conservatism, scores on Wilson and Patterson's Conservatism Scale, yes‐no judgments on whether 25 pictures were or were not pornographic, and demographic data were obtained from a random sample (N = 114) of a community. Results were as follows: (1) suggestive evidence for the existence of a community standard; (2) the c‐scale correlated .57 (N = 114, p < .01) with number of pictures judged pornographic; (3) the 25 pictures met Guttman requirements of unidimensionality (reproducibility of .925); and (4) factor analysis of the pornography judgments yielded three clear‐cut factors and one ambiguous factor which were ordered along the Guttman dimension.     

Use of pornography in traditional media and on the internet in Norway

We described the use of pornography in Norway, including how many people have used pornographic magazines, films, and internet sites and to what extent those who watch pornography on the internet also use it as an arena for erotic chatting. The data stem from a survey on sexual behavior among a random sample of 10,000 Norwegians between 18 and 49 years. The response rate was 34%. A total of 82% reported having read pornographic magazines, 84% had seen pornographic films, and 34% had examined pornography on the internet. Statistically significantly more men than women reported use of pornography. There was a 20% difference between men and women in use of magazines and films. Among those exposed to pornography on the internet during the past year, 14% had participated in erotic chatting. Gay/bisexual men and lesbian/bisexual women reported higher use of pornography than straight men and women. Gender was the most significant variable for the prediction of use of pornography. Level of education predicted exposure to pornography on the internet, in magazines, and in films. Younger individuals were more likely to utilize the internet both for viewing pornographic material and for chatting.     

State and Institutional Correlates of Reported Victimization and Consensual Sexual Activity in Juvenile Correctional Facilities

This article uses multi-level analysis to model the effects of both institutional and state characteristics on juvenile reported sexual behavior (both consensual and forced) in 118 juvenile correctional facilities across 36 states. Data are taken from the 2012 National Survey of Youth in Custody (NSYC). We examine three dimensions of reported sexual contact including: forced sexual contact between juveniles and other institutionalized juveniles; forced sexual contact between juveniles and staff; and alleged consensual contact between juveniles and staff. At the institutional-level, facility capacity is the most consistent significant predictor of reported sexual contact. Findings also indicate that state-level variables such as median income and state-level violent crime rates are significantly associated with some types of reported incidents. Privacy protections of the available data make it impossible to look at individual level factors; however, we suggest this as a future step in important research.     

Use of pornography in traditional media and on the Internet in Norway

The purpose of this study was to describe the use of pornography in Norway. How many people have used pornographic magazines and films, or watched pornography on the Internet? To what extent do those who watch pornography on the Internet also use it as an arena for erotic chatting? The data stem from a survey on sexual behavior among a random sample of 10,000 Norwegians between the age of 18 and 49. The response rate was 34%. A total of 82% reported to have read pornographic magazines, while 84% had seen pornographic films, and 34% had examined pornography on the Internet. Statistically, there were significantly more men than women who reported use of pornography. There was a 20% difference between men and women in the use of magazines and films. Among those exposed to pornography on the Internet during the past year, 14% had participated in erotic chatting on the Internet. Gay/bisexual men and lesbian/bisexual women reported higher use of pornography than straight men and women. Gender was the most significant variable for the prediction of pornography use. Level of education predicted exposure to pornography on the Internet, in magazines and in films. Younger individuals were more likely to utilize the Internet both for viewing pornographic material and to chat.     

What Types of Pornography Do People Use and Do They Cluster? Assessing Types and Categories of Pornography Consumption in a Large-Scale Online Sample

Previous research on exposure to different types of pornography has primarily relied on analyses of millions of search terms and histories or on user exposure patterns within a given time period rather than the self-reported frequency of consumption. Further, previous research has almost exclusively relied on theoretical or ad hoc overarching categorizations of different types of pornography, when investigating patterns of pornography exposure, rather than latent structure analyses of these exposure patterns. In contrast, using a large sample of 18- to 40-year-old heterosexual and nonheterosexual Croatian men and women, this study investigated the self-reported frequency of using 27 different types of pornography and statistically explored their latent structures. The results showed substantial differences in consumption patterns across gender and sexual orientation. However, latent structure analyses of the 27 different types of pornography assessed suggested that although several categories of consumption were gender and sexual orientation specific, common categories across the different types of pornography could be established. Based on this finding, a five-item scale was proposed to indicate the use of nonmainstream (paraphilic) pornographic content, as this type of pornography has often been targeted in previous research. To the best of our knowledge, no similar measurement tool has been proposed before.     

Internet Pornography use and Sexual Body Image in a Dutch Sample

Objectives: A commonly attributed cause of sexual body image dissatisfaction is pornography use. This relationship has received little verification. Methods: The relationship between sexual body image dissatisfaction and Internet pornography use was tested using a large-N sample of Dutch respondents. Results/Conclusion: Penis-size dissatisfaction is associated with pornography use. The relationship between pornography use and breast-size dissatisfaction is null. These results support prior speculation and self-reports about the relationship between pornography use and sexual body image among men. These results also support a prior null finding of the relationship between breast-size satisfaction for women and pornography use.     

Gender Differences in Reactions to Viewing Pornographic Vignettes

Abstract

A dilemma in the current pornography literature is whether one can classify some types of pornography as “degrading” and then accurately gauge individuals' motivations and reactions. One feature commonly cited as the best example of such degradation is the “cum shot.” In the current study, 375 male and female undergraduate volunteers were shown one of four video tapes: the original/unaltered condition, one that omitted visual images of ejaculation, and two that had the soundtrack altered to accentuate either degradation or acceptance themes. After viewing, participants completed the Ratings of Sexual Arousal (Mosher, 1987), Rating of Enjoyment, and Ratings of Degradation and Acceptance scales. Results revealed that men reported greater sexual arousal and enjoyment to all the videos and rated them as both more accepting and less degrading; the degrading voice-over decreased sexual arousal and enjoyment; and sexual arousal and enjoyment were positively related to ratings of acceptance. These results imply that an individual's interpretation of pornography has a strong impact on their subjective reactions.     

Korean Men’s Pornography use,Their Interest in Extreme Pornography,and Dyadic Sexual Relationships

Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess the connections between pornography use (both frequency and interest in extreme pornography) and dyadic sexual relationships. Methods: Six-hundred eighty-five heterosexual South Korean male college students participated in an online survey. Results: The majority (84.5%) of respondents had viewed pornography, and for those who were sexually active (470 respondents), we found that higher interest in degrading or extreme pornography was associated with the experience of role-playing sexual scenes from pornography with a partner, and a preference for using pornography to achieve and maintain sexual excitement over having sex with a partner. Conclusions: The findings were consistent but with differences from a U.S. study with the same methodology, suggesting that attention should be paid to cultural differences.     

An Interplay of Individual Motivations and Sociocultural Factors Predisposing Men to Acts of Rape in Kenya

ABSTRACT

There is a general public perception in Kenya that rapists are “sick” people who deserve to be put far away from the society. Consequently, rape perpetrators are left to be dealt with by the criminal justice system while most of the research has focused on the rape survivors without taking into consideration the need to explore and understand the motivations and sociocultural factors that could predispose men to rape. This paper examines this form of “deviant” sexuality characteristic of some men. The paper is based on findings of a study conducted in three main prisons in Kenya between January and March 2008. The study sample was drawn from the Kamiti, Naivasha, and Nyeri main prisons. Respondents were convicted rapists serving their jail terms. The findings suggest that a number of factors may predispose a man to rape. These factors could be either individual motivational factors, sociocultural factors, or a combination of both. The individual motivational factors identified included drug consumption, marital problems as an excuse for rape, inability to negotiate for consensual sex due to being shy or afraid of women, rape as a form of sexual access, psychological factors like pornographic influence and rape hallucinations, impersonal sex and power, and use of rape as a “tool” for punishment. On the other hand, the sociocultural factors identified included the view of rape as a sexual act rather than an act of violence, social attitude that the woman “invited” the rape, early childhood environment, cultural practices, peer influence, and a lack of parental advice on sexual activities.     

The Impact of Childhood Sexual Abuse and Other Forms of Childhood Adversity on Adulthood Parenting

This study investigated the independent impact of child sexual abuse on five dimensions of adulthood parenting after controlling for other forms of childhood adversity in a predominantly African-American sample of mothers receiving public assistance (N = 483). An analysis of data previously collected as part of the Illinois Families Study Child Well-Being Supplement was conducted to address these questions. Data were analyzed using hierarchal multiple regression. Childhood sexual abuse survivors reported significantly lower rates of parental warmth, higher rates of psychological aggression, and more frequent use of corporal punishment than mothers who had not experienced childhood sexual abuse. These effects, however, were nonsignificant when sociodemographic factors and other forms of childhood adversity were considered. Implications for future research are provided.     

Only Bad for Believers? Religion,Pornography Use,and Sexual Satisfaction Among American Men

Research has often demonstrated a negative association between pornography use and various intrapersonal and relationship outcomes, particularly for men. Several recent studies, however, have suggested that the negative association between pornography use and these indicators is stronger among more religious Americans, suggesting that moral incongruence (engaging in an activity that violates one’s sacred values) and the attendant shame or cognitive dissonance, rather than pornography use per se, may be the primary factor at work. The current study tested and extended this theory by examining how religion potentially moderates the link between pornography use and sexual satisfaction in a national random sample of American adults (N = 1,501). Analyses demonstrated that while pornography use was negatively associated with sexual satisfaction for American men (not women), among men who rarely attended religious services or held a low opinion of the Bible this negative association essentially disappeared. Conversely, the negative association between frequency of pornography consumption and sexual satisfaction was more pronounced for men with stronger ties to conventional religion. These findings suggest that the connection between pornography use and sexual satisfaction, especially for men, depends largely on what viewing pornography means to consumers and their moral community and less so on the practice itself.     

Dimensions of Lesbian Identity During Adolescence and Young Adulthood

Abstract

As knowledge about gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people continues to mature, social work research must address the complexity of key issues, including sexual identity. The present study examined dimensions of sexual identity among young women who identify as questioning or lesbian, and it illustrates the progress being made in conceptualization and measurement in this area.

Three distinct dimensions of lesbian identity were found: “New Identity Possibilities,” “Consolidation and Fulfillment,” and “Stigma and Mistreatment Management.” For these young women, individual and social dimensions of identity development were not distinct as had been previously hypothesized. These findings are discussed in relation to theory and future research that attends to the intersection of gender, age, and sexual identity.