Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

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

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Sex Roles Aims and scope Submit manuscript

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.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. Although racial data were not collected for this study; the lead author has collected data on several other occasions from the same population; approximately 75% of participants typically report their race as “White”.

References

  • Allen, M., & D’Alessio, D. (1991). Comparing male and female physiological responses to pornography: A preliminary meta-analysis. Paper presented at the Organization for the Study of Communication, Language, and Gender conference. Milwaukee, Wisconsin (October).

  • Allen, M., D’Alessio, D., & Emmers-Sommer, T. M. (1999). Reactions of criminal sexual offenders to pornography: A meta-analytic summary. In M. Roloff (Ed.), Communication yearbook 22 (pp. 139–169). Thousand Oaks, California: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Allen, M., Emmers, T. M., Gebhardt, L. J., & Giery, M. (1995). Exposure to pornography and acceptance of rape myths: A research summary using meta-analysis. Journal of Communication, 45, 5–26.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, K. B., Cooper, H., & Okamura, L. (1997). Individual differences and attitudes toward rape: A meta-analytic review. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 23, 295–315.

    Google Scholar 

  • BBC News (2005). Heaven movie tops US box office (September 19). Retrieved on September 19, 2005. Available at: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4259344.stm.

  • Bahk, C. M. (2000). College students’ responses to content-specific advisories regarding television and movies. Psychological Reports, 87, 111–114.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bandura, A. (1994). Social cognitive theory of mass communication. In J. Bryant & D. Zillmann (Eds.), Media effects: Advances in theory and research (pp. 61–90). Hillsdale, New Jersey: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Becchofer, L., & Parrot, A. (1991). What is acquaintance rape? In A. Parrot & L. Becchofer (Eds.), Acquaintance rape: The hidden crime (pp. 9–25). New York: Wiley.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berry, M., Gray, T., & Donnerstein, E. (1999). Cutting film violence: Effects on perceptions, enjoyment, and arousal. Journal of Social Psychology, 139, 567–582.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Boeschen, L. E., Sales, B. D., & Koss, M. P. (1998). Rape trauma in the courtroom. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, 4, 414–432.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brown, D., & Bryant, J. (1989). The manifest content of pornography. In D. Zillmann & J. Bryant (Eds.), Pornography: Research advances and policy considerations (pp. 3–24). Hillsdale, New Jersey: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bushman, B. J. (1995). Moderating the role of trait aggressiveness in the effects of violent media on aggression. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 69, 950–960.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Burt, M. (1980). Cultural myths and supports for rape. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 38, 217–230.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Burt, M., & Albin, R. (1981). Rape myths, rape definitions, and probability of conviction. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 11, 212–230.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Byers, E. S. (1996). How well does the traditional sexual script explain sexual coercion? In E. S. Byers & L. F. O’Sullivan (Eds.), Sexual coercion and dating relationships (pp. 7–26). New York: Hawthorne.

    Google Scholar 

  • Canary, D. J., & Emmers-Sommer, T. M. (1997). Sex and gender differences in personal relationships. New York: Guilford.

    Google Scholar 

  • Carll, E. K. (2003a). News portrayal of violence and women. American Behavioral Scientist, 46, 1601–1610.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carll, E. K. (2003b). Psychology, news media, and public policy: Promoting social change. American Behavioral Scientist, 46, 1591–1593.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Check, J. V., & Malamuth, N. M. (1983). Sex role stereotyping and reactions to depictions of stranger versus acquaintance rape. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 45, 344–356.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Check, J. V., & Malamuth, N. M. (1985). Pornography and sexual aggression: A social learning theory analysis. In M. McLaughlin (Ed.), Communication yearbook 9 (pp. 181–213). Beverly Hills, California: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dexter, H. R., Penrod, S., & Linz, D. (1997). Attributing responsibility to female victims after exposure to sexually violent films. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 27, 2149–2171.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Donnerstein, E., & Wilson, D.W. (1976). Effects of noise and perceived control on ongoing and subsequent aggressive behavior. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 34, 774–781.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Duncan, D. (1990). Pornography as a source of sex information for university students. Psychological Reports, 66, 442.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Emmers-Sommer, T. M. (2002). Sexual coercion and resistance. In M. Allen, R. Preiss, Gayle, & N. Burrell (Eds.), Interpersonal communication: Advances in meta-analysis (pp. 315–343). Mahwah, New Jersey: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Emmers-Sommer, T. M., & Allen, M. (1999). Variables related to sexual coercion: A path model. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 16, 659–678.

    Google Scholar 

  • Emmers-Sommer, T. M., & Burns, R. J. (2005). The impact of Internet pornography on rape myth acceptance. Journal of Online Behavior, 4, Available at: http://www.behavior.net/JOB/v1n4/emmers-sommer.html.

  • Emmers-Sommer, T. M., Triplett, L., Pauley, P., Hanzal, A., & Rhea, D. (2005). The impact of film manipulation on men and women’s attitudes toward women and film editing. Sex Roles, 52, 683–695.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goleman, D. (1985). Violence against women in films. Response to the Victimization of Women and Children, 8, 21–22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Koukounas, E., & McCabe, M. P. (2001). Emotional responses to filmed violence and the eye blink startle response: A preliminary investigation. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 16, 476–488.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kunkel, D., Biely, E., Eyal, K., Cope-Farrar, K., Donnerstein, E., & Fandrich, R. (2003). Sex on TV 3 [A Biennial Report of the Kaiser Family Foundation 2003]. Washington, District of Columbia: Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lanis, K., & Covell, K. (1995). Images of women in advertisements: Effects on attitudes related to sexual aggression. Sex Roles, 32, 639–649.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Levi, L. (1969). Sympatho-adrenomedullary activity, diuresis, and emotional reactions during visual sexual stimulation in human females and males. Psychosomatic Medicine, 31, 251–268.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Linz, D. G., Donnerstein, E., & Penrod, S. (1988). Effects of long-term exposure to violent and sexually degrading depictions of women. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 55, 758–768.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Linz, D. G., & Malamuth, N. (1993). Pornography. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Malamuth, N. M., & Check, J. (1981). The effects of mass media exposure on acceptance of violence against women: A field experiment. Journal of Research in Personality, 15, 436–446.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Malamuth, N. M., & Briere, J. (1986). Sexual violence in the media: Indirect effects on aggression against women. Journal of Social Issues, 42, 75–92.

    Google Scholar 

  • McIlwraith, R. D., & Schallow, J. R. (1983). Adult fantasy life and patterns of media use. Journal of Communication, 33, 78–91.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Muehlenhard, C. L., & Cook, S. W. (1988). Men’s reports of unwanted sexual activity. Journal of Sex Research, 24, 58–72.

    Google Scholar 

  • Muehlenhard, C. L., & Falcon, P. L. (1991). Men’s heterosocial skill and attitudes toward women as predictors of verbal sexual coercion and forceful rape. Sex Roles, 23, 241–259.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mueller, C. W., & Donnerstein, E. (1977). The effects of humor-induced arousal upon aggressive behavior. Journal of Research in Personality, 11, 73–82.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mundorf, N., Allen, M., D’Alessio, D., & Emmers-Sommer, T. (2007). Effects of sexually explicit media. In R. Preiss, B. Gayle, N. Burrell, M. Allen, & J. Bryant (Eds.), Mass media effects research (pp. 181–198). Mahwah, New Jersey: Erlbaum.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nolan, J. M., & Ryan, G. W. (2000). Fear and loathing at the cineplex: Gender differences in descriptions and perceptions of slasher films. Sex Roles, 42, 39–56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Oliver, M. B., Sargent, S. L., & Weaver, J. B. (1998). The impact of sex and gender role perception on affective reactions to different types of film. Sex Roles, 38, 45–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Padgett, V., Brislin-Slutz, J., & Neal, J. (1989). Pornography, erotica, and attitudes toward women: The effects of repeated exposure. Journal of Sex Research, 26, 470–491.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Russell, D. E. H. (1998). Dangerous relationships: Pornography, misogyny, and rape. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sheppard, B., Hartwick, J., & Warshaw, P. (1988). The theory of reasoned action: A meta-analysis of past research with recommendations for modifications and future research. Journal of Consumer Research, 5, 325–343.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sigelman, C. K., Berry, C. J., & Wiles, K. A. (1984). Violence in college students’ relationships. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 5, 530–548.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stock, W. E. (1991). Feminist explanations: Male power, hostility, and sexual coercion. In E. Grauerholz & M. A. Koralewski (Eds.), Sexual coercion (pp. 61–73). Toronto: Lexington.

    Google Scholar 

  • United States Bureau of Justice Statistics (2004). Victim characteristics. Retrieved from http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/cvict_v.htm.

  • Weaver, J. B. (1991). Are “slasher” horror films sexually violent? A content analysis. Journal of Broadcasting and Electronic Media, 35, 385–392.

    Google Scholar 

  • Weisz, M. G., & Earls, C. M. (1995). The effects of exposure to filmed sexual violence on attitudes toward rape. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 10, 71–84.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zillmann, D. (1971). Excitation transfer in communication-mediated aggressive behavior. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 7, 419–434.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zillmann, D., & Sapolosky, B. S. (1977). What mediates the effect of mild erotica on annoyance and hostile behavior in males? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 35, 587–596.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zuckerman, M., & Litle, P. (1986). Personality and curiosity about morbid and sexual events. Personality and Individual Differences, 7, 49–56.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Joan Chrisler and anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Communication Studies, University of Nevada—Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, 89154-4052, USA

    Tara M. Emmers-Sommer

  2. Hugh Downs School of Human Communication, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA

    Perry Pauley

  3. Department of Communication, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA

    Alesia Hanzal

  4. Department of Communication, California State University—Fullerton, Fullerton, CA, USA

    Laura Triplett

Authors
  1. Tara M. Emmers-Sommer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Perry Pauley
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Alesia Hanzal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Laura Triplett
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Tara M. Emmers-Sommer.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Emmers-Sommer, T.M., Pauley, P., Hanzal, A. et al. Love, Suspense, Sex, and Violence: Men’s and Women’s Film Predilections, Exposure to Sexually Violent Media, and their Relationship to Rape Myth Acceptance. Sex Roles 55, 311–320 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-006-9085-0

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-006-9085-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation