doi:10.1007/s10508-014-0291-5

Paper Title

Experimental Effects of Exposure to Pornography: The Moderating Effect of Personality and Mediating Effect of Sexual Arousal

Authors

Neil Malamuth

Gert Martin Hald

Keywords

Experimental Effects
Exposure to Pornography
Non-Violent Pornography
Attitudes Supporting Violence Against Women
ASV
Personality Trait
Agreeableness
Past Pornography Consumption
Sexual Arousal
Mediating Effect
Moderating Effect
Hierarchical Confluence Model
Sexual Aggression
Affective Engagement
Priming Effects
Gender Differences
Individual Differences
Danish Young Adults
Psychological Research
Media Effects

Article Type

Research Article

Journal

Archives of Sexual Behavior

Research Impact Tools

DOI

10.1007/s10508-014-0291-5

Issue

Volume : 44 | Page No : 99–109

Published On

April, 2014

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Abstract

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.