Over the past twenty years there has been a huge debate concerning the effects of sexually explicit materials. In 1967 the U.S. Congress decided traffic in pornography was a “matter of national concern” and consequently established the Commission on Obscenity and Pornography to conduct an investigation of this issue. However, on reviewing the available research, the Commission concluded that there was no evidence that pornography had antisocial effects.
Nevertheless, a number of investigators and scientific and political groups have criticized the Commission’s conclusions (e.g., Berkowitz, 1971; Liebert & Schwartzberg, 1977; Bart & Jozsa, 1980; Diamond, 1980). Several women’s groups and various feminist writers have been particularly outspoken.
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Those classified as force oriented had shown relatively high levels of sexual arousal to rape depictions. Those classified as nonforce-oriented had shown relatively little arousal to rape depictions, but had become aroused to consensual sex portrayals. Subjects labeled as unclassifiable had shown little arousal to either type of depiction. Following this classification, subjects were randomly assigned to one of three exposure groups; sexually violent, sexually nonviolent, or control. Those assigned to the sexually violent condition were exposed to ten sexually violent stimuli (including feature-length films, and written and pictorial depictions) over a period of four weeks. Subjects in the sexually nonviolent condition were exposed to ten presentations of sexually nonviolent activities only. Subjects in the control condition were not exposed to any stimuli. Soon after their exposure, subjects returned to the laboratory and were presented with depictions similar in theme to the preexposure session. Penile tumescence and self-reported sexual arousal were measured …show more content…
They also tended to be less aroused by the postexposure nonviolent depictions, although ths effect was considerably less pronounced.
Summary of Findings
The data reviewed so far suggest that exposure to media sexual aggression may adversely affect some men’s thought patterns, but not their sexual arousal patterns. Accordingly, the following discussion focuses primarily on thought patterns.
Conclusion and future research
The data across the laboratory and field experiments discussed in this article support the proposition that exposure to mass media stimuli that have violent and sexual content increases the audience’s aggressive-sexual fantasies, acceptance of aggression, beliefs in rape myths, and aggressive behavior. These findings were obtained both with unedited, commercially available stimuli (e.g., feature-length films) and with edited stimuli in which systematic manipulations enabled the assessment of the impact of specific content dimensions. Effects were found directly following exposure as well as several days later. Moreover, the data indicate that individuals with relatively higher aggressive inclinations are more sexually aroused by aggressive pornography than those with lower aggressive tendencies. A bidirectional causal relationship is therefore suggested by the findings, with
Kristol, I. (1971). Pornography, obscenity, and the case for censorship. In L. Faigley & J. Selzer (Eds.), “Good reasons with contemporary arguments.” (pp. 535-538). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Pornography is considered by many to be an unwelcome and distasteful part of our society. However, I argue that it is necessary to voice the unpopular viewpoints, under the Constitution. This paper is a defense of pornography as a constitutional right of free expression, under the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights. In illustrating this argument, I will first define pornography as a concept, and then address central arguments in favor of pornography remaining legal and relatively unregulated – such as the development of the pornography debate throughout modern US law, and how activist groups address the censorship of adult entertainment.
Many psychologists have studied the effect of the media on an individual’s behavior and beliefs about the world. There have been over 1000 studies which confirm the link that violence portrayed through the media can influence the level of aggression in the behavioral patterns of children and adults (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2001). The observed effects include, increased aggressiveness and anti-social behavior towards others, an increased fear of becoming a victim or target of aggressive behavior, becoming less sensitive to violence and victims of violent acts, and concurrently desiring to watch more violence on television and in real-life (A.A.P. 2001). According to John Murray of Kansas State University, there are three main avenues of effects: direct effects, desensitization, and the Mean World Syndrome (Murray, 1995, p. 10). The direct effects of observing violence on television include an increase in an individual’s level of aggressive behavior, and a tendency to develop favorable attitudes and values about using violence to solve conflicts and to get one’s way. As a result of exposure to violence in the media, the audience may become desensitized to violence, pain, and suffering both on television and in the world. The individual may also come to tolerate higher levels of aggression in society, in personal behavior, or in interpersonal interactions. The third effect is known as the Mean World Syndrome, which theorizes that as a result of the amount of violence seen on television and also the context and social perspective portrayed through the media, certain individuals develop a belief that the world is a bad and dangerous place, and begin to fear violence and victimization in real life (A.A.P. 2001).
Zillman, D. & Weaver, J. Effects of Prolonged Exposure to Gratuitous Media Violence on Provoked and Unprovoked Hostile Behavior.
The issue of pornography has been debated and argued among many about its effects on morality and society. The questions most raised are is pornography moral or immoral and what defines it as such. Also, what makes something be seen as pornographic and therefore immoral. Often when someone brings up the subject of pornography they often envision something dark and seedy which in no way could ever be justified as virtuous. However, there are others who see it’s as being a healthy outlet and without harm to others. When applying the sociological theories of utilitarianism and deontology we can understand the different ideas of pornography. We can also use the perspectives of Emotivism and ethical egoism to make a rational argument about
Laura Kipnis has described pornography as “an archive of data about...our history as a culture”. Therefore if, she described it as such, what can it tell us about the sexual history of the 20th century? Examining the history of the forms of archive from pornographic playing cards to blu-ray discs and the internet, this shows the ever changing form of how as a society we view pornography. From the forms of archive come the social implications of pornography. This will be examined through the 1986 Meese Commission in the United States of America into the pornographic industry. Finally, this exposition will also examine the differing views of Gay and Straight pornography and the changes that have taken over the 20th century. Overall, the 20th century was a fundamental shift in sexual attitudes towards pornography.
The question consists of three key words. Pornography refers to books, magazines and films that are designed to cause sexual excitement by showing naked people or referring to sexual acts.1The second one is inducement means ‘leads to ‘ or ‘result in’ an action.2 In the question, an inducement to rape would be anything that encourages individuals to commit a sex crime. Additionally, the third rape is defined as the penetration of mouth, vagina or anus by any part of the attacker’s body or by an object used by the attacker, without the consent of the victim.3 This essay will prove the thesis statement which pornography can be considered to be an inducement to rape.[1]
The media has changed significantly over the past decades. Technology has modified our abilities to expand our communication network, and it allows companies to spread their commercials over many different continents. Research done by Roberts (1993) shows that adolescent and children are often very influenced by media that involves sexual or violent conduct. This research is based on media involving children and adolescents, however this does not eliminate the effect media has on adults (Singer & Singer, 2001, p. 269).
We have already noted some of the harmful effects of pornography and violence, and we can conclude that the common good has indeed been harmed and continues to be harmed where such materials are produced, exhibited and distributed without responsible restriction or regulation.
In the today’s society, social media has gone out of hand. Most people these days have a cell phone, Ipad and/or laptop and most definitely a television at their home. Therefore, access to pornography has become extremely easy and can be available to any individual in less than 5 minutes. The best definition of pornography can be explained as sexually explicit words or images intended to provoke sexual arousal. The easy access to porn has raised many people to question if porn is harmful, if it should be censored, and if it is unsafe. Many debates have been going on about porn concerning freedom of rights, speech, and entertainment and right of privacy. The main people to have argued on this point are Catherine Mackinnon and philosopher J.S. Mill.
Fisher, William, and Azy Barak. “Internet Pornography: A Social Psychological Perspective On Internet Sexuality.” Journal of Sex Research. 38.4 (Nov. 2001): 312-24.
Freedman, Jonathan. "Television Violence Does Not Contribute to Aggressive Behavior in Young People." April 2007. Opposing Viewpoints. .
In recent years, pornography has established itself as perhaps the most controversial topic arising out of the use of the Internet. The easy availability of this type of sexually explicit material has caused a panic among government officials, family groups, religious groups and law enforcement bodies and this panic has been perpetuated in the media.
To some, pornography is nothing more than a few pictures of scantily clad Women in seductive poses. But pornography has become much more than just Photographs of nude women. Computer technology is providing child molesters and child pornographers with powerful new tools for victimizing children. Pornography as "the sexually explicit depiction of persons, in words or images, Sexual arousal on the part of the consumer of such materials. No one can prove those films with graphic sex or violence has a harmful effect on viewers. But there seems to be little doubt that films do have some effect on society and that all of us live with such effects.
With the explosion of technology today, access to the media is at your fingertips, anytime, anywhere, and almost 24/7. Video games, movies, cartoons, daily news, websites, music videos, and even in commercials, violence is everywhere, and it becomes harder and harder to avoid. Violence in the media has been increasing and reaching dangerous proportions. According to Report of the Media Violence Commission, the effects are remarkably consistent regardless of type of medium, age, gender, or where the person lives in the world (336). Many studies and researches reveal the empirical evidence that links violence in movies and television shows to aggressive behavior in children, teenagers, and adults. Increasing aggressive behavior, desensitization to violence, and fear are three types of negative effects contributed to by violence in movies and television shows. The article, “The Influence of Media Violence on Youth” emphasizes that violent television shows, films, and music reveal unequivocal evidence that media violence increases the likelihood aggressive and violent behavior in both immediately, and in the long term (Anderson, Craig A., 81). Violence now has gone into the mainstream. The Hunger Games, one of the top grossing films in 2013 replete with blood, gore and violence. The Walking Dead was once voted highest-rated entertainment program on TV with horrific violent scenes, killing from stabbing into the heads, bloody corpses, and disturbing, haunting images shown in most of the scenes. CBS’ Criminal Minds is television show with series of scary scenarios showing the violent murders of psychopath people. Worst of all, Silence of the Lambs deals with a psychopath who ...