Experimental effects of exposure to pornography: the moderating effect of personality and mediating effect of sexual arousal

TY - JOUR

T1 - Experimental effects of exposure to pornography

T2 - the moderating effect of personality and mediating effect of sexual arousal

AU - Hald, Gert Martin

AU - Malamuth, Neil N

PY - 2015/1

Y1 - 2015/1

N2 - Using a randomly selected community sample of 200 Danish young adult men and women in a randomized experimental design, the study investigated the effects of a personality trait (agreeableness), past pornography consumption, and experimental exposure to non-violent pornography on attitudes supporting violence against women (ASV). We found that lower levels of agreeableness and higher levels of past pornography consumption significantly predicted ASV. In addition, experimental exposure to pornography increased ASV but only among men low in agreeableness. This relationship was found to be significantly mediated by sexual arousal with sexual arousal referring to the subjective assessment of feeling sexually excited, ready for sexual activities, and/or bodily sensations associated with being sexually aroused. In underscoring the importance of individual differences, the results supported the hierarchical confluence model of sexual aggression and the media literature on affective engagement and priming effects.

AB - Using a randomly selected community sample of 200 Danish young adult men and women in a randomized experimental design, the study investigated the effects of a personality trait (agreeableness), past pornography consumption, and experimental exposure to non-violent pornography on attitudes supporting violence against women (ASV). We found that lower levels of agreeableness and higher levels of past pornography consumption significantly predicted ASV. In addition, experimental exposure to pornography increased ASV but only among men low in agreeableness. This relationship was found to be significantly mediated by sexual arousal with sexual arousal referring to the subjective assessment of feeling sexually excited, ready for sexual activities, and/or bodily sensations associated with being sexually aroused. In underscoring the importance of individual differences, the results supported the hierarchical confluence model of sexual aggression and the media literature on affective engagement and priming effects.

U2 - 10.1007/s10508-014-0291-5

DO - 10.1007/s10508-014-0291-5

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 24729134

SN - 0004-0002

VL - 44

SP - 99

EP - 109

JO - Archives of Sexual Behavior

JF - Archives of Sexual Behavior

IS - 1

ER -