The Relationship Between Emotions and Attitudes towards Relationships After Short-Term Exposure to Sexually Explicit M

1. The Relationship Between Emotions and Attitudes towards Relationships After Short-Term Exposure to Sexually Explicit Material Heather Morgan Saffron Redwine Hanover College

2. Attitudes toward Sexually Explicit Materials • In a study performed by Carroll et al. (2007) two thirds (67% ) of young men and one half (49%)of young women had positive attitudes toward SEMs. • Women with more liberal sexual attitudes and greater sexual experience had more favorable attitudes toward SEMs • (Lawrence & Herold, 1988)

3. Long-term Exposure to Sexually Explicit Materials • Many risks associated with frequent exposure to erotica • (Zillman, 2000) • Distorted perceptions and beliefs about relationships and sexuality (Manning, 2006) • Problems with jealousy, competition, trust, and cheating in relationships (Paul, 2005) • Partner’s pornography use “resulted in a substantial reappraisal of their relationship” (Bridges et al., 2003)

4. Emotional Response to Sexually Explicit Materials • Gender differences in emotional response to SEMs • (Goodson et al., 2000) • Women show more negative emotional responses to SEMs • than men do (Allen et al., 2007)

5. Hypotheses • Participants who have positive emotional states after viewing the sexually explicit material will have more accepting/permissive attitudes towards relationships and sex than those who have a negative emotional state after viewing the sexually explicit material. • Male participants will have more positive emotional states after viewing the sexually explicit material and will have more accepting/permissive attitudes towards relationships and sex than females.

6. Participants • 36 small liberal arts college students • Ages 18 – 22 • At least 18 years of age • 56% female and 44% male

7. Procedure • Informed Consent • Complete demographics survey, and questionnaire on sexual attitudes and relationships • Watch video clip • Basic Instinct (1992) • Complete emotional state questionnaire • Debriefed and Thanked

8. Measure of Attitudes toward Relationships • Relationship Scales Questionnaire (RSQ) • Griffin & Bartholomew, 1994 • Worry: = .703 • I worry about being alone. • Mistrust: = .792 • I find it difficult to trust others completely. • Intimacy Need: = .563 • I want emotionally close relationships.

9. Measure of Attitudes toward Sexuality • Sexual Attitudes Scale (SAS) • S. Hendrick & C. Hendrick, 1987 • Permissive: = .911 • Casual sex is acceptable. • Spiritual: = .792 • At its best, sex seems to be the merging of two souls. • Physical Pleasure: = .651 • Orgasm is the greatest experience in the world.

10. Measure of Emotional State • Positive Affect – Negative Affect Scale (PANAS) • Watson et al., 1988 • Positive Affect: = .924 • Interested, excited, attentive • Negative Affect: = .803 • Distressed, irritable, guilty

11. Results • Attitudes towards relationships and emotional state • No significant results

12. Results • Attitudes towards Sexuality and Emotional State • Permissiveness and Negative Emotional State • r(36) = -.384, p =.02 • Spirituality and Positive Emotional State • r(36) = .466, p< .01 • Physical Pleasure and Positive Emotional State • r(36) = .332, p =.05

13. Results • Gender and Emotional State • Males • t(34) = 2.28, p = .03

14. Discussion • Relationship exists between emotional responses and attitudes towards sexuality • Males had a more positive emotional response to the SEM than females

15. Discussion • Limitations and Future Direction • Larger and more diverse sample • Reliability of measures • Pre-test to show change in emotional response • Social desirability effects • Ambiguity of Video Clip • Variations of explicitness in SEMs • Implications • Ratings and other communications with potential audiences about sexual content in the media

16. Questions? Comments?