Regulating Pornography: A Public Dilemma

Abstract

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Third‐person effect, gender differences, pornography exposure and support for restriction of pornography

“…However, it seems that the relationship of this perceptual bias to attitudes in support of media restriction depends on the perceived harm and its interaction with other variables. Gender is one of the variables that earlier studies of pornography have found associated with stronger procensorship attitudes (Lee & Yang, 1996;Thompson et al, 1990). Social psychologists have found that women are more likely to support restrictions on pornography (Thompson et al, 1990) and also to be less likely to have had exposure to pornographic material (Dines et al, 1998;Lo et al, 1999;Wilson & Abelson, 1973).…”

“…In their development of an Attitudinal Censorship Questionnaire, Hense and Wright (1992) found that although no gender differences were found on the General Censorship factor, females were more willing to censor pornography than were males. Thompson et al, (1990) found that women were more supportive than men of anti-pornography legislation. Lee and Yang (1996) also found that females were more likely than males to support censorship of sexual violence and sexually explicit materials on television.…”

“…Gender is one of the variables that earlier studies of pornography have found associated with stronger procensorship attitudes (Lee & Yang, 1996;Thompson et al, 1990). Social psychologists have found that women are more likely to support restrictions on pornography (Thompson et al, 1990) and also to be less likely to have had exposure to pornographic material (Dines et al, 1998;Lo et al, 1999;Wilson & Abelson, 1973). Therefore, in this study we propose that gender and exposure to pornography are related to perceived effects on self and others and a resulting attitude in support of censorship.…”

“…More men (52 per cent), compared to women (37 per cent) also told researchers that they had seen pictorial depictions of an explicit sexual nature in the two years prior to the interview. In a more recent study, Thompson et al (1990) found that men were three times more likely than women to watch X-rated or sexually explicit movies on pay TV, on VCRs or in theatres. Therefore, it is hypothesized that: H2: Female respondents will have lower levels of exposure to pornographic media than male respondents.…”

Atitudes de estudantes universitários frente ao consumo de materiais pornográficos

“…Os resultados dessas pesquisas mostram que homens e mulheres concordam com a proteção legal da publicação deste tipo de material, em defesa da liberdade de expressão. Também foi encontrado que os homens percebem mais efeitos positivos na utilização de pornografia para si mesmos e para os outros, mas que ambos os sexos concordam que a pornografia pode ter tanto efeitos positivos quanto efeitos negativos sobre os indiví-duos (Lottes, Weinberg, & Weller, 1993;Thompson, Chaffee, & Oshagan, 1990).…”