Attitudes of U.S. and Czech/Slovak mental health and health professionals toward five types of sexually explicit materials

Abstract

Mental health and health professionals' attitudes toward sexually explicit materials in the U.S. and Czech/Slovak Republics were investigated. An instrument measuring attitudes toward educational, soft-core, hard-core, violence, and bizarre/paraphiliac sexually explicit materials was administered to sexologists, psychologist/counselors, and medical professionals. These professionals were attending conferences in the U.S. and the Czech/Slovak Republics between November 1992 and September 1993. Mental health and health professionals had the most favorable attitudes toward educational sexually explicit materials followed by soft-core and hard-core materials, respectively. They had unfavorable attitudes toward violent and bizarre/paraphiliac sexually explicit materials, with particularly negative attitudes toward violent materials. Analysis of covariance showed that strength of religious conviction was a significant covariate; thus professionals with stronger religious conviction had more negative attitudes toward all five types of sexually explicit materials. When controlling for strength of religious conviction: (i) sexologists had more positive attitudes toward most types of sexually explicit materials; (ii) Czech professionals generally had more positive attitudes toward such materials than their U.S. counterparts; and (iii) there were few differences between female and male professionals in their reported attitudes. While previous literature has reported gender differences in attitudes toward sexually explicit materials, findings from this study suggest that this effect may be due to differences in religiosity among women and men, namely, that women tend to be more religious.

Therapeutic Uses of Sexually Explicit Materials in the United States and the Czech and Slovak Republics: A Qualitative Study

“…In sharp contrast to the signi cant differences found between U.S. professionals and Czech and Slovak professionals in their attitudes toward various types of sexually explicit materials (Robinson et al, 1996), U.S. and Czech and Slovak professionals were quite similar in their reports of situations in which sexually explicit materials were useful and not useful. Speci cally, the two groups reported these materials to be most useful in similar settings (i.e., sex education, treating sexual dysfunctions and paraphilias, and sexual permission-giving and shame reduction) and not useful in similar situations (i.e., when the materials cause clients or students to be less accepting of sexuality and when the values of clients or students con ict with the perceived values expressed in the materials).…”

“…As we previously reported (Robinson et al, 1996), the best documented nding is that men have more favorable attitudes toward sexually explicit materials than do women (Becker & Byrne, 1985;Cowan & Dunn, 1994;Davis & Bauserman, 1994;Diamond & Dannemiller, 1989;Merritt et al, 1975;Grif tt, 1973;Grif tt & Kaiser, 1978;Hat eld, Sprecher, & Traupmann, 1978;Izard & Caplan, 1974;Kelley, 1985;Leiblum, Rosen, Platt, Cross, & Black, 1993;Mosher, 1973;Schmidt, Sigusch, & Schaefer, 1973;Sigusch, Schmidt, Reinfeld, & Weidemann-Sutor, 1970); some studies, however, have found few or no gender differences (Englar & Walker, 1973;Fisher & Byrne, 1978a, 1978bWinick & Evans, 1994;Robinson et al, 1996). Increased religiosity has been associated with less favorable attitudes toward sexually explicit materials (Athanasiou & Shaver, 1971;Lottes et al, 1993;Robinson et al, 1996;Schmidt et al, 1969;Wallace & Wehmer, 1972), and younger, single, and more educated people have been found to have more favorable attitudes toward sexually explicit materials (Diamond & Dannemiller, 1989;Merritt et al, 1975).…”

“…This methodology has been described previously (Robinson et al, 1996). and Czech and Slovak respondents were recruited from a variety of sexological, marriage and family therapy, and psychological conferences between November 1992 and September 1993.…”

“…These questions were taken from a larger questionnaire developed in English and translated into Czech by the fth author (Robinson et al, 1996). These questions were taken from a larger questionnaire developed in English and translated into Czech by the fth author (Robinson et al, 1996).…”

“…Many researchers have examined the role that sociodemographic variables such as gender, religion, age, and education play in attitudes toward sexually explicit materials (Athanasiou & Shaver, 1970;Cowan, Chase, & Stahly, 1989;Diamond & Dannemiller, 1989;Lenes & Hart, 1975;Lottes, Weinberg, & Weller, 1993;Merritt, Gerstl, & LoSciuto, 1975;Robinson, Scheltema, Manthei, & Koznar, 1996;Schmidt, Sigusch, & Meyberg, 1969;Wallace & Wehmer, 1972). As we previously reported (Robinson et al, 1996), the best documented nding is that men have more favorable attitudes toward sexually explicit materials than do women (Becker & Byrne, 1985;Cowan & Dunn, 1994;Davis & Bauserman, 1994;Diamond & Dannemiller, 1989;Merritt et al, 1975;Grif tt, 1973;Grif tt & Kaiser, 1978;Hat eld, Sprecher, & Traupmann, 1978;Izard & Caplan, 1974;Kelley, 1985;Leiblum, Rosen, Platt, Cross, & Black, 1993;Mosher, 1973;Schmidt, Sigusch, & Schaefer, 1973;Sigusch, Schmidt, Reinfeld, & Weidemann-Sutor, 1970); some studies, however, have found few or no gender differences (Englar & Walker, 1973;Fisher & Byrne, 1978a, 1978bWinick & Evans, 1994;Robinson et al, 1996).…”