An Examination of Relationships Between Exposure to Sexually Explicit Media Content and Risk Behaviors: a Case Study of College Students

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An Examination of Relationships Between Exposure to Sexually Explicit Media Content and Risk Behaviors: a Case Study of College Students AN EXAMINATION OF RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN EXPOSURE TO SEXUALLY EXPLICIT MEDIA CONTENT AND RISK BEHAVIORS: A CASE STUDY OF COLLEGE STUDENTS Alexandru Stana A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY December 2013 Committee: Srinivas R. Melkote, Ph.D., Advisor Michael Bradie, Ph.D., Graduate Faculty Representative Sandra L. Faulkner, Ph.D. Michael A. Horning, Ph.D. © 2013 Alexandru Stana All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Srinivas R. Melkote, Advisor In spite of its prevalence in the contemporary media landscape, the effects of exposure to sexually explicit materials have received relatively little attention from media and communication scholars. From a Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) perspective, the present study investigated whether the consumption of sexually explicit materials predicts the adoption of risk behaviors, particularly sex- and body image-related risk behaviors. In addition, the study focused on the psychological mechanisms - represented by the Sexual Self-Concept (SSC) - that could facilitate the adoption of said risk behaviors. In order to address these issues, quantitative data was collected using a self-administered online survey design. Also, in response to mounting criticism according to which quantitative research methods could offer only truncated snapshots of individuals' interactions with sexually explicit materials, a second, qualitative data set was collected using a self-administered diary design. The analysis of the quantitative data revealed that consumption of sexually explicit media content significantly predicts SSC scores. In turn, SSC was found to be a significant predictor of the adoption of sex-related risk behaviors (sex risk partners and sex risk practices). SSC was found to not be a significant predictor of body image health-related risk behaviors. A path model revealed that the SSC moderates the adoption of risk behaviors, thus supporting the theoretically- driven hypothesis that the SSC functions as a psychological mechanism that could facilitate the adoption of risk behaviors. Also, the path model revealed that age and gender significantly predict the adoption of risk behaviors. iv Thematic analysis of the qualitative data revealed a complex and nuanced picture of participants' interactions with sexually explicit media content. The underlying assumption of most quantitative studies of pornography is that exposure to pornography is likely to have detrimental effects on consumers; however, the qualitative section of this study demonstrated that, while retaining a sense of the potentially negative influence of pornography, participants identified numerous occasions in which the consumption of sexually explicit media was seen as a beneficial, enriching presence in their lives. Participants in the qualitative phase of this study described positive, negative, and very often ambivalent encounters with sexually explicit material, which creates a more nuanced understanding of how people engage with this type of media content. The overarching theme that emerged in the analysis of the qualitative data was the theme of “ambivalence” manifested by participants both towards pornography per se as well as towards the perceived influence of consumption of pornography on individuals and on romantic relationships. Along with the theoretical importance of identifying the SSC as a mediating factor in the adoption of risk behaviors, this result allows health campaigns to target precisely the mechanisms that mediate the adoption of risk behaviors. Having more calibrated approach, health campaigns thus designed could reach significantly higher rates of success. The results in the qualitative section of the study call for a reconceptualization of sexually explicit media content and its audiences in a manner that accounts for the vast array of available material, as well as for the active, discriminate approach of the audiences to pornography. v Dedicated to my wife, Elena Solohina, for her unconditional support, endless understanding, and her very sophisticated sense of humor vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would first like to express the deepest gratitude to my advisor, Dr. Srinivas Melkote, for guiding me through the four years that I spent in the School of Media and Communication at Bowling Green State University, for his unwavering support, his warmth, and his infectious sense of humor. Dr. Melkote's research methods classes constituted the very first building blocks in my academic career, without which my dissertation and all that depended on it would not have been realized. I feel extremely fortunate for having had the opportunity to work with Dr. Melkote as my advisor, my mentor, and my professor. I would also like to express my gratitude to my dissertation committee: Dr. Sandra Faulkner, Dr. Michael Horning, and Dr. Michael Bradie. I will always be in the debt of Dr. Faulkner for her ability to encourage me to take risks and to not be afraid to take on unfamiliar intellectual paths. Her contribution has made my journey at Bowling Green State University and the process of writing my dissertation so much richer and gratifying. I would also like to thank Dr. Michael Horning for his endless generosity and tremendous help during the last two years. His expertise in quantitative data analysis, particularly structural equation modeling, and his willingness to so generously share his expertise with me, proved to be crucial to the success of my dissertation writing process. I am also very grateful for Dr. Bradie's insightful questions, comments, and suggestions, both during the process of writing the dissertation and especially on the dissertation defense day. I would also like to recognize the faculty of the School of Media and Communication at Bowling Green State University, particularly Dr. Sung-Yeon Park and Dr. Gi Woong Yun, vii whose classes have played an essential role in my formation as a media and communication scholar. Finally, I would like to thank my friends and colleagues in the doctoral program in the School of Media and Communication at Bowling Green State University: Mark Flynn, Anastasia Widmer, Dave Morin, and Matt Meier. My journey at Bowling Green State University would not have been possible without their friendship, constant support, encouragement, and fruitful intellectual debates. viii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................... 1 Theoretical Framework .............................................................................................. 10 Social Cognitive Theory of Mass Communication ........................................ 11 Sexual Self-Concept ....................................................................................... 12 Objectives of the Study .............................................................................................. 13 Objective I ...................................................................................................... 14 Objective II .................................................................................................... 15 Objective III ................................................................................................... 16 Objective IV ................................................................................................... 18 Objective V .................................................................................................... 19 Objective VI ................................................................................................... 20 Definition of Key Terms and Concepts ..................................................................... 22 Sexually Explicit Material ............................................................................. 22 Sexual Self-Concept (SSC) ............................................................................ 23 Risk Behaviors ............................................................................................... 23 Biological Sex Differences ............................................................................ 25 ix Epistemological Assumptions .................................................................................... 26 Organization of Dissertation ...................................................................................... 27 CHAPTER II: THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK AND CONTEXT .................................... 28 Social Cognitive Theory ............................................................................................ 28 Personal Factors ............................................................................................. 28 Behavioral Factors ......................................................................................... 29 Environmental Factors ................................................................................... 29 Symbolizing Capability ................................................................................. 29 Self-Regulatory Capability ............................................................................ 30 Self-Reflective Capability .............................................................................. 30 Vicarious Capability ...................................................................................... 31 Sexual Self-Concept ..................................................................................................
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