Sex on the Screen: A Content Analysis of Free Internet Pornography Depicting Mixed-Sex Threesomes from 2012–2020

Abstract

Viewing online pornography is common among US adults, with mixed-sex threesome (MST) videos being one of the top 10 most popular categories of pornography for both men and women. The current content analysis applied sexual script theory to understand the themes present in these mixed-sex threesome videos. Independent coders viewed a total of 50 videos (25 MMF and 25 FFM) at each timepoint (2012, 2015, 2020) and coded for different sexual behaviors and themes in each video. By examining both same-sex (female–female, male–male) and other-sex (female–male) behaviors, as well as themes of aggression and sexual initiation in different videos and across three timepoints, it was determined that other-sex behaviors are more common in MST videos than same-sex behaviors. Same-sex behaviors between two female actors were more common than same-sex behaviors between two male actors. Aggression was a common theme in videos, with male actors being more aggressive on average than female actors. Most of these trends did not change across 8 years, suggesting that the impacts of traditional sexual scripts are pervasive in pornography, even in current online content. Important implications for both researchers and clinical professionals are discussed.

Is sexual attraction and place of origin a moderator of sex in pornography consumption? Cross-sectional study on a representative sample of young adults

“…The increased presence and accessibility of pornography in the digital sphere in recent decades has resulted in a large body of literature analyzing both the content of pornography [ 3 , 4 ], user profile [ 5 , 6 ], reasons for use [ 7 ] and the association of using pornography with affective-sexual thoughts, attitudes and behaviours [ 8 – 10 ]. A greater acceptance of violence and rape myths [ 10 ], more positive attitudes towards sexual coercion [ 11 ] as well as greater acceptance of violence against women by both sexes [ 10 , 12 ] has been identified in pornography users.…”