Love, Suspense, Sex, and Violence: Men’s and Women’s Film Predilections, Exposure to Sexually Violent Media, and their Relationship to Rape Myth Acceptance

Abstract

This investigation addressed the relationship between men's and women's predilections for film with a love story, suspense, or sex and violence theme and how that predilection related to rape myth acceptance (RMA). Also examined was how men's and women's predilections, as they related to RMA, were moderated by exposure to different levels of sexually violent media based on a true story. Finally, the relationship between traditional attitudes and film predilection, as well as the relationship between film predilection and attitudes toward film editing, were investigated. Results indicate that men prefer film with sex and violence significantly more than women do, whereas women prefer love stories significantly more than men do. Those with sex and violence film predilections are more accepting of RMA than those with love story or suspense predilections. Women's film predilections and their relationship to RMA attitudes are moderated to an extent by exposure to sexually violent media based on a true story, whereas men's attitudes remain unaffected. Finally, those with sex and violence film predilections are less in favor of film editing than are those with suspense or love story predilections. Theoretical explanations for the findings are discussed and their implications.

Adolescents' Sexual Media Use and Willingness to Engage in Casual Sex: Differential Relations and Underlying Processes

“…However, research has also focused on other messages in sexual media content. For instance, studies have shown that depictions of sexual violence, both in sexually explicit Internet material (e.g., Allen, D' Alessio, & Brezgel, ; Hald, Malamuth, & Yuen, ) and more mainstream sexual content (e.g., movies, Emmers‐Sommer, Pauley, Hanzal, & Triplett, ; television, Kahlor & Eastin, ), are related to sexual aggression and rape myth acceptance among adults. Future research may investigate whether exposure to messages promoting sexual aggression or harassment in sexual media content predicts adolescents' willingness to engage in sexual aggression or harassment through the sociocognitive processes in the prototype‐willingness model.…”

Patient–Provider Communication About Sexual Health: The Relationship with Gender, Age, Gender-Stereotypical Beliefs, and Perceptions of Communication Inappropriateness

“…Given the alpha for this measure is consistent with other published studies using this scale (e.g., Burt 1980;Emmers-Sommer et al 2006), it was retained.…”

Cultural Violence against Women in Thai Films: Perspective from Multi-Sector Stakeholders

“…Films have been a popular media for over one hundred years. Television and films are filled with scenes of women being threatened, raped, beaten, tortured and killed (Emmers-Sommer, Pauley, Hanzal & Triplett, 2006). Therefore, films are one reliable source to study violence against women.…”