Pornography
Pornography Just as the effects of violence in popular media have been discussed and debated for decades, so too have the effects of media displays of sexual material. Defend- ers and opponents of pornography argue their positions passionately. So what does the social psychological research say?
The combination of violence, arousal, and sexual imagery is part of the appeal to many fans of professional wrestling (as in this WWE event). Research on aggression suggests that this combination can also be particularly potent in contributing to real-world aggression among viewers.
pornography or obscenity is rarely straightforward. Because of the subjectivity involved in such definitions, the term pornography is used here to refer to explicit sexual material, regardless of its moral or aesthetic qualities. It is crucial, however, to distinguish between nonviolent and violent pornography in discussing the relationship between pornographic displays and aggression.
Nonviolent and Violent Pornography Earlier in this chapter, we described how both arousal and affect can influence aggression. The results of research on nonviolent pornography confirm the importance of these factors. For many people, viewing attractive bodies elicits a pleasant emotional response and moderate levels of sexual arousal. This combination of positive affect and only moderate arousal is unlikely to trigger much aggression. Indeed, there is not consistent evidence in the research literature for a direct causal link between the use of nonviolent pornography and sexual aggression, although there may be a stronger link to hostile attitudes toward women.
