Age and perceived effects of erotica-pornography: A national sample study

Abstract

In the spring of 1970, a national sample survey of 2486 adults (aged 20-80) was studied to ascertain U.S. public attitudes toward and experience with erotic materials. Twelve items measured whether or not those interviewed believed that looking at or reading sexual materials had certain effects on themselves or others. Initial description of the results revealed a considerable diversity of opinion. This report provides a multistage typology of those item responses, beginning with characterization of items as positive, neutral, or negative in effect. Striking age gradients were observed at each stage in the typology formation. At first glance, these results are hardly surprising, yet introduction of controls for level of education, gender, and reported previous levels of actual exposure to erotica did not appreciably change the age-graded response pattern. The last stage in the typology contained four levels and showed an attribute solely desirable and/or neutral effects to erotica. Those who expressed neutral and mixed (strongly positive and negative) views were somewhat older. The next age norms about explicit sexual materials took on a perception of no effects or a position of uncertainty. Finally, those who believed that pornography has largely or solely undesirable effects on its consumers were oldest. The replicability of the pattern suggests a specific order in the underlying process of change in values (historical and/or intraindividual).

Pornography, erotica, and attitudes toward women: The effects of repeated exposure

“…While a possible doubling in pornography viewing may be related to more favorable attitudes toward women, another explanation is that attitude favorability toward women increases with age. This is consistent with the findings of Merritt, Gerstl, and Lo Scuito (1975), who noted that attitudes toward pornography became more positive as age increased. Their explanation is also consistent with the findings of Study 2: Age and attitude (Total Score) were positively and moderately related, r (17) = .…”

Genital and Subjective Sexual Arousal in Postmenopausal Women: Influence of Laboratory-induced Hyperventilation

“…The current affective changes in response to the erotic film are inconsistent with the observation of Merritt and colleagues (1975) that women's attitudes toward erotica become increasingly intolerant with age. However, the use of female-oriented erotic material has been common practice for only the past decade and may explain why studies published in the 1970s and 1980s, which employed male-oriented erotica, reported negative affective responses in older women (Merritt et al, 1975).…”

A comparison of sexually explicit illustrations for use in psychosexual therapy

“…The nding of little difference in responses between age groups contrasts with several earlier studies where younger people have been reported as nding sexually explicit material more acceptable than older people (Barnett & Thomson, 1996;ITC, 1996;Diamond & Dennemiller, 1989;Merritt et al, 1975). Barnett & Thomson (1996) reported that age was the strongest factor in uencing responses to sexually explicit material.…”