Associations Between Pornography Consumption, Sexual Flexibility, and Sexual Functioning Among Austrian Adults

To date, only a few studies have examined the associations between pornography consumption and sexual functioning. The Acquisition, Activation, Application Model (3AM) indicates that the frequency of pornography consumption and the perceived realism of pornography may influence whether sexual scripts are acquired from viewed pornography. Having sexual scripts that are alternative to their preferred sexual behaviors may help people switch to alternative sexual behavior when sexual problems arise. The current study analyzed whether frequent pornography consumption was associated with greater sexual flexibility and greater sexual functioning. Additionally, the perceived realism of pornography consumption was tested as a moderator of those associations. At an Austrian medical university, an online cross-sectional questionnaire study was conducted among 644 medical students (54% women and 46% men; Mage = 24.1 years, SD = 3.8). The participants were asked about their pornography consumption, partnered sexual activity, sexual flexibility, perceived realism of pornography, and sexual functioning. Manifest path analyses revealed direct and indirect associations between frequent pornography consumption and greater sexual functioning through greater sexual flexibility in women but not in men. Perceived realism did not moderate those associations. In conclusion, our study was in line with previous studies that found no significant associations between men’s pornography consumption and sexual functioning in men. However, some women may expand their sexual scripts and learn new sexual behaviors from pornography consumption, which may help with their sexual functioning.

Links of Perceived Pornography Realism with Sexual Aggression via Sexual Scripts, Sexual Behavior, and Acceptance of Sexual Coercion: A Study with German University Students

Exposure to pornographic material has been linked to sexual aggression perpetration and victimization in a large body of research. Based on social learning theory and 3A theory of script learning, this study contributes to this research by testing the hypothesis that the more realistic pornography is perceived to be by young adults, the more likely they are to experience and engage in sexual aggression. Two underlying pathways were proposed: one path via scripts and patterns of sexual behavior regarding consensual sexual interactions that contain established risk factors for sexual aggression victimization and perpetration, and a second path via the acceptance of sexual coercion. In a cross-sectional study, 1181 university students in Germany (762 female; 419 male) completed measures of pornography use and perception, risky sexual scripts and sexual behavior, and acceptance of sexual coercion. As predicted, pornography realism was a positive predictor of risky sexual scripts, risky sexual behavior, and acceptance of sexual coercion. Indirect links with sexual aggression victimization and perpetration were found via both pathways. No gender differences in the associations were found. The implications for media literacy interventions addressing the realism of pornography are discussed.

Filling in the (gendered) gaps: How observers frame claims of sexual assault

Claims of sexual assault are especially prone to scrutiny and (re)interpretation as something else. We investigated how people judged the veracity of sexual assault claims and how they subsequently framed their interpretations of these claims using ‘general knowledge’ in the form of sexual scripts, rape myths, and gender stereotypes. Participants ( n = 161) read about a sexual assault allegation by a male or female claimant and were asked to describe in more detail what they thought had happened. Data were analyzed using a combination of quantitative and qualitative frame analysis. A key finding was that although participants mostly accepted the facts of the claim, this did not automatically imply they shared the claimant’s interpretation of the event as (serious) sexual assault. The analysis revealed that participants drew upon distinct frames to interpret the claim, including frames – such as regretted consensual sex and miscommunication – that exonerated the accused and emphasized claimant responsibility. Frames were differentially employed in response to male and female claims of sexual assault. We discuss how our research design and findings can contribute to an increased understanding of the underlying mechanisms of victim acknowledgment.

The Power of Pleasure: Contributions from Embodied Sociolinguistics

<p>In this thesis I argue that foregrounding young women’s intersectional voices through an embodied sociolinguistic approach can afford a contribution to empowering sexual scripts. In doing so I demonstrate the political value in harnessing the linguistic negotiation of pleasure. To enact this goal, my research questions are: 1. How do women make sense of experiences of sexual pleasure in talk? 2. How do women construct their identities when talking about sexual pleasure? 3. How do women describe their bodies when recounting sexual pleasure? An embodied sociolinguistics offers insight into the discursive construction of sexual embodiment, and together with a critical feminist approach, centers the voices and experiences of women. Sexual experiential embodiment entails reflexively constructed understandings of sexual pleasure and desire through attention to discursive bodies, particularly for those that are historically misrepresented. The analysis makes use of conversations in intimate female friendships that serve as identity construction sites and reflect both agency and interdependent self-authorship. This data offers insights into the challenges of navigating various discourses in the pursuit of self-definition and is comprised of 6 hour-long conversations between 6 pairs of young female friends, as well as 4 hours of recorded focus group discussion. My findings demonstrate that ideologies of femininity play a large role in the initial construction of the intimate conversational site which creates space for dynamic negotiations of desire, subjectivity and the multifaceted nature of sexual experiences. The continuing interaction affords constructions of complex feminist identities within neoliberal constraints. I develop this into a critique of how uncritical discourses of sexual agency can transform sexual pleasure into a neoliberal project. Embodied sociolinguistics allows access into how sexual pleasure dynamically unfolds in the discursive formulation of the body. Ultimately this culminates into a mapping of historical pleasure landscapes that illustrate the significance of foregrounding language and conversation on sexual pleasure. Sociolinguistic investigations that seek to transform harmful hegemonic discourses are essential in the ongoing combat against entrenched rape culture. My study advocates for a culture that values discussion of female sexual pleasure. This focus is potentially more destabilizing and contestive than focusing on sexual violation because it directly challenges hetero-patriarchal culture’s hostility toward women’s agency. The framework employed in this thesis offers significant implications for the field of language, gender and sexuality, including the further advancement of the theory of embodied sociolinguistics and a methodology of intimate insider research. Employing intersectionality allows for the queering of normative sexual practices and disrupts normative gender discourses by centering agentive feminist voices. From a critical perspective, the research contributes to building a model of pleasure activism that prioritises joy. A body-focused linguistic approach demonstrates that true transformation of our sexuality culture must begin with destabilizing the neoliberal project and moving toward collective liberation. There is no inevitability to the sexual danger script when we channel the political power of pleasure. </p>

The Power of Pleasure: Contributions from Embodied Sociolinguistics

<p>In this thesis I argue that foregrounding young women’s intersectional voices through an embodied sociolinguistic approach can afford a contribution to empowering sexual scripts. In doing so I demonstrate the political value in harnessing the linguistic negotiation of pleasure. To enact this goal, my research questions are: 1. How do women make sense of experiences of sexual pleasure in talk? 2. How do women construct their identities when talking about sexual pleasure? 3. How do women describe their bodies when recounting sexual pleasure? An embodied sociolinguistics offers insight into the discursive construction of sexual embodiment, and together with a critical feminist approach, centers the voices and experiences of women. Sexual experiential embodiment entails reflexively constructed understandings of sexual pleasure and desire through attention to discursive bodies, particularly for those that are historically misrepresented. The analysis makes use of conversations in intimate female friendships that serve as identity construction sites and reflect both agency and interdependent self-authorship. This data offers insights into the challenges of navigating various discourses in the pursuit of self-definition and is comprised of 6 hour-long conversations between 6 pairs of young female friends, as well as 4 hours of recorded focus group discussion. My findings demonstrate that ideologies of femininity play a large role in the initial construction of the intimate conversational site which creates space for dynamic negotiations of desire, subjectivity and the multifaceted nature of sexual experiences. The continuing interaction affords constructions of complex feminist identities within neoliberal constraints. I develop this into a critique of how uncritical discourses of sexual agency can transform sexual pleasure into a neoliberal project. Embodied sociolinguistics allows access into how sexual pleasure dynamically unfolds in the discursive formulation of the body. Ultimately this culminates into a mapping of historical pleasure landscapes that illustrate the significance of foregrounding language and conversation on sexual pleasure. Sociolinguistic investigations that seek to transform harmful hegemonic discourses are essential in the ongoing combat against entrenched rape culture. My study advocates for a culture that values discussion of female sexual pleasure. This focus is potentially more destabilizing and contestive than focusing on sexual violation because it directly challenges hetero-patriarchal culture’s hostility toward women’s agency. The framework employed in this thesis offers significant implications for the field of language, gender and sexuality, including the further advancement of the theory of embodied sociolinguistics and a methodology of intimate insider research. Employing intersectionality allows for the queering of normative sexual practices and disrupts normative gender discourses by centering agentive feminist voices. From a critical perspective, the research contributes to building a model of pleasure activism that prioritises joy. A body-focused linguistic approach demonstrates that true transformation of our sexuality culture must begin with destabilizing the neoliberal project and moving toward collective liberation. There is no inevitability to the sexual danger script when we channel the political power of pleasure. </p>

Pleasure, pain and pornography: A gendered analysis of the influence of contemporary pornography on the lives of New Zealand emerging adults

<p>Historically, concerns have been raised about violence in pornography and the influence that such portrayals may have on levels of violence against women and children. Today, pornography is pervasively available on the internet and viewed by both men and women in ever-increasing numbers. In New Zealand, violence against women and children remains at alarmingly high levels, and concerns about pornography’s influence on gendered violence are a common refrain. Research remains inconclusive about the impacts of pornography on viewers’ sexual scripts, behaviours and attitudes, yet the voices of those most affected by pornography – viewers and their partners – are often omitted from pornography studies. Few New Zealand studies employ a gendered analysis of men’s and women’s experiences with pornography. To provide research specific to New Zealand about these experiences, this thesis explores the reported influences of mainstream pornography on the lives of a self-selecting sample of (primarily) heterosexual New Zealanders between the ages of 18 and 30. It adopts a uniquely gendered analysis and critically interrogates both men’s and women’s experiences with pornography in the digital age. The findings of this research suggest that pornography research necessitates a gendered appraisal both in terms of how pornography is experienced individually, but also within intimate relationships. For instance, whilst both men and women suggested that mainstream pornography was often aggressive, demeaning and degrading, the way that aggression was perceived and understood differed between the genders. Some women spoke of ‘rough sex’ having some sexual appeal, however, they also felt conflicted about feeling aroused by pornography in which actresses appeared potentially in pain or distress. Conversely, several men spoke of aggression in pornography as commonplace but something they might avoid rather than denounce, leaving the door open for other men to engage with as a matter of individual ‘choice’. Further, men’s worries about pornography concerned their compulsive need to use it, which differs substantially from women’s concerns. This research also suggests that gender is a critical factor in considering pornography’s impact in intimate relationships, particularly regarding pornography addiction and the perceived influence of pornography on partners’ behaviours and sexual scripts. These findings are a testament to the gendered way that pornography is experienced, understood and interpreted in the digital age. Overall, this thesis provides a platform for future research into pornography in New Zealand. It provides a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of how online pornography affects the lives of every day New Zealanders, and highlights the need for more critical, gendered analyses within this space. Further, the findings also indicate the importance of providing young people with the media literacy skills needed to appraise how mainstream pornography reinforces stereotypical gendered representations of men, women, and heterosexual sex.</p>

Pleasure, pain and pornography: A gendered analysis of the influence of contemporary pornography on the lives of New Zealand emerging adults

<p>Historically, concerns have been raised about violence in pornography and the influence that such portrayals may have on levels of violence against women and children. Today, pornography is pervasively available on the internet and viewed by both men and women in ever-increasing numbers. In New Zealand, violence against women and children remains at alarmingly high levels, and concerns about pornography’s influence on gendered violence are a common refrain. Research remains inconclusive about the impacts of pornography on viewers’ sexual scripts, behaviours and attitudes, yet the voices of those most affected by pornography – viewers and their partners – are often omitted from pornography studies. Few New Zealand studies employ a gendered analysis of men’s and women’s experiences with pornography. To provide research specific to New Zealand about these experiences, this thesis explores the reported influences of mainstream pornography on the lives of a self-selecting sample of (primarily) heterosexual New Zealanders between the ages of 18 and 30. It adopts a uniquely gendered analysis and critically interrogates both men’s and women’s experiences with pornography in the digital age. The findings of this research suggest that pornography research necessitates a gendered appraisal both in terms of how pornography is experienced individually, but also within intimate relationships. For instance, whilst both men and women suggested that mainstream pornography was often aggressive, demeaning and degrading, the way that aggression was perceived and understood differed between the genders. Some women spoke of ‘rough sex’ having some sexual appeal, however, they also felt conflicted about feeling aroused by pornography in which actresses appeared potentially in pain or distress. Conversely, several men spoke of aggression in pornography as commonplace but something they might avoid rather than denounce, leaving the door open for other men to engage with as a matter of individual ‘choice’. Further, men’s worries about pornography concerned their compulsive need to use it, which differs substantially from women’s concerns. This research also suggests that gender is a critical factor in considering pornography’s impact in intimate relationships, particularly regarding pornography addiction and the perceived influence of pornography on partners’ behaviours and sexual scripts. These findings are a testament to the gendered way that pornography is experienced, understood and interpreted in the digital age. Overall, this thesis provides a platform for future research into pornography in New Zealand. It provides a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of how online pornography affects the lives of every day New Zealanders, and highlights the need for more critical, gendered analyses within this space. Further, the findings also indicate the importance of providing young people with the media literacy skills needed to appraise how mainstream pornography reinforces stereotypical gendered representations of men, women, and heterosexual sex.</p>

‘Why would I want sex now?’ A qualitative study on older women's affirmative narratives on sexual inactivity in later life

The existing research tries to understand the reasons for discontinuing sex in later life with the assumption that people want to be sexual. Although the growing body of literature informs that sex remains an integral part of older adults’ lives, a substantial number of older adults declare not being sexually active. This study aimed at exploring motives for deliberately choosing sexual inactivity among older women. Semi-structured interviews with 16 Polish women (aged 65–82) were thematically analysed in relation to the sexual scripts theory and the participants’ specific socio-cultural background. Three main themes regarding the reasons for cessation of their sex life were identified: ‘I am glad that sex does not concern me anymore’, ‘I am satisfied with my memories’ and ‘The right one’ or no one. The results indicate that some women give up sex for good, with no regrets or feeling of a loss; for others, it may be a temporary decision, its duration dependent on meeting the right partner. Developing sexual agency may encourage discontinuing their sex life – a choice perceived as optimal and liberating. Personal factors and the memories of marital relationships seem to shape older women's (a)sexual expectations. Acknowledging these nuances may contribute to a better understanding of older women's sexual functioning; implications for consideration in further research and practice are also discussed.

Sex on the Screen: A Content Analysis of Free Internet Pornography Depicting Mixed-Sex Threesomes from 2012–2020

Viewing online pornography is common among US adults, with mixed-sex threesome (MST) videos being one of the top 10 most popular categories of pornography for both men and women. The current content analysis applied sexual script theory to understand the themes present in these mixed-sex threesome videos. Independent coders viewed a total of 50 videos (25 MMF and 25 FFM) at each timepoint (2012, 2015, 2020) and coded for different sexual behaviors and themes in each video. By examining both same-sex (female–female, male–male) and other-sex (female–male) behaviors, as well as themes of aggression and sexual initiation in different videos and across three timepoints, it was determined that other-sex behaviors are more common in MST videos than same-sex behaviors. Same-sex behaviors between two female actors were more common than same-sex behaviors between two male actors. Aggression was a common theme in videos, with male actors being more aggressive on average than female actors. Most of these trends did not change across 8 years, suggesting that the impacts of traditional sexual scripts are pervasive in pornography, even in current online content. Important implications for both researchers and clinical professionals are discussed.