Bridging the Theoretical Gap: Using Sexual Script Theory to Explain the Relationship Between Pornography Use and Sexual Coercion

Abstract

Research has consistently shown a relationship between pornography use and sexually coercive behaviors, but this inquiry has yet to fully examine the theoretical mechanisms through which this relationship works. The current study will use a theory that has gained support and attention as a way to understand the relationship pornography use has with general sexual behaviors, but has not been widely used to explain its relationship with sexually coercive behaviors: the sexual script theory. In this theory, scripts are attitudes and ideas about what behavior is acceptable, desirable, and pleasurable, which exist at the societal, personal, and interpersonal levels. Using items that assess all three levels of sexual scripts, a path analysis was used to examine whether sexual scripts mediate the relationship between pornography use and sexual coercion likelihood in a sample of 463 college males. Results of the study provide further support for the theory as a way to explain the relationship between pornography use and sexual behavior, and, in particular, sexually coercive behavior. Findings from the analysis also indicate that the various levels of scripts interact with each other and work together to influence likelihood of sexual coercion, providing further insight into how sexual scripts are manifested in behavior. Finally, the results suggest that pornography use is a multidimensional construct comprised of variables extending beyond frequency of use, such as number of modalities used to view pornography. Future research should continue this line of inquiry, expanding on the operationalization of sexual scripts and pornography use, to strengthen these findings and better illuminate the theoretical understanding of the relationship between pornography use and sexual coercion.

Pornography Use and Sexual Coercion: Examining the Mediation Effect of Sexual Arousal

“…The majority of studies examining this relationship have focused on examining whether frequency of use is associated with sexual coercion, and researchers in this line of inquiry have found significant support for this relationship. In particular, this conclusion has been supported by research using samples of college students (Carr & VanDeusen, 2004;Foubert et al, 2011;Marshall et al, 2017Marshall et al, , 2018Vega & Malamuth, 2007), the general population (Wright et al, 2016), and known sexual offenders (Kingston et al, 2008). The direction of this relationship indicates that increased frequency of pornography consumption is significantly related to use of sexual coercion tactics.…”

“…The direction of this relationship indicates that increased frequency of pornography consumption is significantly related to use of sexual coercion tactics. A number of specific types of sexual coercion tactics have been examined in research, including acts of verbal coercion (i.e., pressuring someone, Kernsmith & Kernsmith, 2009;Marshall et al, 2017Marshall et al, , 2018Wright et al, 2016) and technology-based sexual coercion (i.e., sharing unsolicited explicit images, online solicitation, internet harassment; Thompson & Morrison, 2013). This emerging research has also examined overt acts of physical coercion or force (i.e., forcible rape, sexual abuse; Burton et al, 2010;Foubert et al, 2011).…”

“…A large body of literature has provided evidence that pornography use is associated with sexually coercive behaviors and inhibiting behaviors that may prevent sexual assaults (Foubert et al, 2011;Gonsalves et al, 2015;Kingston et al, 2008;Romito & Beltramini, 2011;Wright et al, 2016;Ybarra et al, 2011). These studies indicate that multiple aspects of pornography use provide utility in predicting sexual coercion, including the frequency of pornography use (Kernsmith & Kernsmith, 2009;Kingston et al, 2008;Marshall et al, 2017Marshall et al, , 2018Vega & Malamuth, 2007). In addition, researchers have highlighted the role that sexual arousal plays in the sexual decisionmaking process, specifically as it pertains to acts of sexual coercion (Ariely & Loewenstein, 2006;Bouffard & Miller, 2014;Loewenstein et al, 1997).…”

“…Recently, researchers have begun to address this issue by examining whether pornography use interacts with other individual-level factors to influence the likelihood of sexual coercion. For instance, researchers have found support for the idea that pornography use works to affect sexual scripts (i.e., attitudes and ideas about what behaviors are acceptable, desirable, and pleasurable), influencing sexually coercive behavior (Marshall et al, 2018;Tomaszewska & Krahe, 2016, 2018. In other words, emerging research suggests that an individual's sexual scripts can mediate the relationship between frequent pornography use and engaging in sexually coercive behaviors.…”

“…This study will use measures of sexually coercive behaviors that represent both illegal coercion (i.e., getting someone drunk and/or use of physical force) and verbal coercion (i.e., pressuring and/or lying to someone to obtain sex). Use of these definitions is supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Basile et al, 2016) and have been used in previous research (D'Abreu & Krahé, 2014;Marshall et al, 2017Marshall et al, , 2018Wright et al, 2016).…”