Seeing masculine men, sexy women, and gender differences: Exposure to pornography and cognitive constructions of gender (1997)

Frable, Deborrah ES, Anne E. Johnson, and Hildy Kellman.

Journal of Personality 65, no. 2 (1997): 311-355.

Abstract

This article examines the relation between men’s exposure to pornography and their beliefs about men and women. Study 1 presents an individual difference measure for assessing exposure to pornography that was then used in six subsequent studies. In Study 2, high exposure scores predicted being male, having a sexual partner, and the reasons for viewing sexual materials. In Studies 3 and 4, high exposure men were more likely than low exposure men to think that most men perform masculine behaviors. In Studies 5 and 6, high exposure men were also more likely lo generate sexual descriptions of women spontaneously. Finally, in Study 7, high exposure men perceived the most gender differences after viewing sexual or sexual/violent music videos; low exposure men perceived the most differences after viewing sexual or romantic ones. These studies suggest that exposure to pornography is related to broad and fundamental ways of understanding men, women, and gender relations.