Perceived peer norms, not porn use, associated with negative views of women among college men

What college men think their male friends consider acceptable when it comes to pornography may shape their views about women, according to new research. A study published in the American Journal of Sexuality Education found that the strongest link to negative attitudes towards women was not a man’s own pornography habits, but rather his belief that his peers approved of pornography depicting rape. This suggests that peer influence plays a powerful role in shaping attitudes related to harmful content.

Sexual aggression is a serious issue, particularly among young adults. It encompasses a range of harmful behaviors, from unwanted sexual contact and harassment to attempted or completed rape. Sadly, college-aged women are disproportionately affected by sexual aggression, with male perpetrators being most commonly identified. A concerning number of men, between 10% and 29%, commit acts of sexual aggression during their college years. The negative impact of sexual victimization is extensive, affecting psychological well-being, academic performance, and relationships. Therefore, understanding what contributes to men’s likelihood of committing sexual aggression against women is an important area of research.

Previous studies have established that negative attitudes towards women are a significant factor in predicting sexual aggression. These attitudes, which can include beliefs that women are inferior or deserving of mistreatment, often solidify during young adulthood, a time when individuals begin dating and exploring sexual relationships. Researchers are working to identify the factors that contribute to these negative attitudes in college men to better understand and prevent sexual aggression.

One factor that has been examined in relation to attitudes towards women and sexual aggression is pornography. Exposure to pornography, particularly pornography depicting violence against women, has been linked to increased risk of sexual aggression in some studies. Pornography use is common among college men, with a large percentage reporting viewing it regularly. Content analyses of mainstream pornography have revealed frequent depictions of physical aggression against women, such as spanking, choking, and bondage.

A significant portion of pornography also includes depictions of sexual aggression, including rape. Given the widespread consumption of pornography and the prevalence of aggressive content, it is important to understand how pornography might influence attitudes and behaviors, especially in relation to negative attitudes towards women.

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While some research suggests a link between pornography use and negative attitudes towards women, the picture is not completely clear. Some studies have not found a connection, and one study even suggested that pornography use might be associated with more egalitarian views. These inconsistent findings highlight the complexity of the issue and suggest that other factors, beyond just the act of viewing pornography, might be at play.

One possibility is that an individual’s own feelings about pornography use, and what they perceive as normal or acceptable among their peers, might influence the impact of pornography on their attitudes. However, research has not yet thoroughly explored the role of these perceived peer norms and personal approval of pornography in shaping attitudes towards women. The new study aimed to address this gap by investigating whether perceived peer norms and self-approval of pornography, along with pornography use itself, are linked to negative attitudes towards women in college men.

To conduct their study, researchers recruited 283 male undergraduate students from two universities on the East Coast of the United States. Participants were contacted via email and those who agreed to participate completed an online survey. The survey was part of a larger study examining issues such as sexual assault prevention, alcohol use, and risky sexual behavior. The men who participated were compensated with a small gift card. The average age of the participants was approximately 20 years old, and the majority identified as White.

The survey included several measures to assess the factors of interest. To measure negative attitudes towards women, the researchers used a well-established scale that asks participants to rate their agreement with statements reflecting negative views, such as “I consider men superior to women in intellect” and “Women, generally, are not as smart as men.” Higher scores on this scale indicated more negative attitudes.

To assess pornography exposure, participants were asked how often they viewed three types of pornography: pornography in general, pornography depicting bondage, whipping, and spanking without clear consent, and pornography showing explicit rape with force. Participants responded using a scale ranging from “never” to “more than once a day.” They were also asked how often they thought the typical male student at their school viewed pornography in general, to gauge perceived peer exposure.

Self-acceptance of pornography use was measured by asking participants if they thought it was acceptable to view each of the three pornography types (general, bondage/aggression, and rape). Responses were “yes” or “no.” Perceived peer acceptance was assessed by asking participants what percentage of men at their school they believed thought it was acceptable to view each of the three pornography types.

In addition to these key measures, the survey collected demographic information such as age, race, ethnicity, and whether the participants were involved in intercollegiate sports or fraternities. This demographic information was used as control variables in the statistical analysis.

The researchers used a statistical technique called multiple regression to analyze the data. This method allowed them to examine the relationship between pornography-related factors (use, self-acceptance, and perceived peer norms) and negative attitudes towards women, while simultaneously considering the influence of demographic variables.

Most participants reported watching pornography a few times a week or month, with general pornography being the most common type. Pornography depicting bondage/aggression was viewed less frequently, and pornography depicting rape was viewed least often. A large majority of participants personally approved of general pornography use, and they believed that most of their peers also approved. Approval rates were lower for pornography depicting bondage/aggression and rape, both personally and in terms of perceived peer acceptance.

In the statistical analysis, when considering all factors together, the researchers found that only one factor was significantly associated with negative attitudes towards women: perceived peer acceptance of pornography depicting rape. This means that college men who believed that a higher percentage of their male peers found pornography showing rape acceptable were more likely to hold negative attitudes towards women, even when considering their own pornography use, personal approval of pornography, and other demographic factors.

Other pornography-related factors, such as personal pornography use across different types, self-acceptance of pornography, and perceived peer acceptance of general pornography or pornography depicting bondage/aggression, were not found to be significantly linked to negative attitudes towards women in the main analysis.

This finding highlights the potential importance of perceived peer norms, especially concerning extreme forms of pornography like those depicting rape. It suggests that when young men believe that their peers tolerate or approve of such violent pornography, it may contribute to the development or reinforcement of negative attitudes towards women. The researchers suggest that this could be because perceiving peer acceptance of rape pornography leads men to believe their peers also endorse broader negative views about women. It’s also possible that men who already hold negative attitudes towards women are more likely to perceive peer acceptance of rape pornography.

It is important to note that study was cross-sectional, meaning data was collected at one point in time. This design cannot determine cause and effect. Future research using longitudinal designs, where participants are followed over time, is needed to understand the direction of the relationship between perceived peer norms and attitudes. The study also did not directly measure sexual aggression, although negative attitudes towards women are a known risk factor.

Despite these limitations, the study sheds light on the important role that perceived peer norms may play in shaping negative attitudes toward women among college men. Rather than personal use or approval of pornography alone, it is the belief that friends accept violent, rape-themed content that appears to predict harmful views.

The study, “Pornography Use, Perceived Peer Norms, and Attitudes Toward Women: A Study of College Men,” was authored by Prachi H. Bhuptani, Shannon R. Kenney, Lucy E. Napper, and Lindsay M. Orchowski.