Submission- and dominance-themed erotic literature can subtly influence our attitudes toward the opposite sex, according to a study published in the Journal of Sex Research.
The study of 240 men and 241 women found reading about male sexual dominance made women slightly more likely to endorse sexist beliefs and made men slightly more likely to endorse rape myths. Reading about female sexual dominance, on the other hand, made both women and men more likely to view dominance as an appealing trait in a potential partner. Men and women were equally aroused by a story depicting a dominant man and story depicting a dominant woman.
PsyPost interviewed University of Queenland’s Emily Ann Harris, the corresponding author of the study, about her research.
PsyPost: Why were you interested in this topic?
Harris: The Fifty Shades phenomenon had hit, and it was clear that a story about a woman being spanked by a dominating, rich and handsome man was sparking the interest of a large proportion of women. I hadn’t read the novel, but I knew that it wasn’t the only story depicting female submission that had women flipping pages with sweaty and excited fingers. I was curious as to whether the popularity of this type of story (i.e. centring on female sexual submission) was driven by the fact that these stories are more arousing for women compared to stories where the woman isn’t submissive? Is there an erotic alternative?
Furthermore, we know that the media we are exposed to can impact how we see the world — so does reading about a sexually submissive woman change the way we think about men and women more generally?
What should the average person take away from your study?
I would like readers to enjoy a broad array of erotic fiction. I don’t mean to demonise Fifty Shades of Grey – or any kind of erotica that women enjoy. I say, if you’re into it, read it and enjoy! But I would like to encourage readers of erotica to seek out stories where the woman is not submissive. Not only are these stories equally as arousing as Fifty-Shades style stories, but they also provide a more balanced view of gender roles.
What is the scope of the study? Are there any major caveats?
The effect sizes we found were small. Participants in our study only read for approximately 20 minutes. This is not going to drastically change your attitudes towards men and women in any way, and any small change is likely to be temporary. However, it is important to note that many readers of erotica spend a lot longer than 20 minutes reading throughout their lives, so the cumulative effect may be much larger. This is an empirical question, but one that is tricky to test!
What questions still need to be addressed?
Segueing from the above – we don’t know how reading ‘Fifty-Shades’ style erotica may impact readers over time. Of course there is likely to be a selection effect – women who endorse traditional gender roles may be more likely to read stories about women who are sexually passive. However, our research shows that there is also likely to be a causal effect of reading novels depicting female submission on our attitudes. I think is important for women to be exposed to fun, enjoyable stories that depict women in more agentic roles. The long-term effects of reading more egalitarian erotica would also be interesting to test.
Finally, but importantly, we would also be interested in testing how responses to gay/lesbian erotica may differ from other forms of erotica. It is possible that readers may also be equally, or more aroused by gay/lesbian erotica compared to other types of erotica (due to the effect of sexual novelty). I would also expect no increase in readers’ endorsement of traditional gender roles after reading gay/lesbian erotica. Another exciting alternative to traditional erotica?
The study, “Fifty Shades Flipped: Effects of Reading Erotica Depicting a Sexually Dominant Woman Compared to a Sexually Dominant Man,” was co-authored by Michael Thai and Fiona Kate Barlow.
