Pornography Consumption, Education, and Support for Same-Sex Marriage Among Adult U.S. Males. (July 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Wright, Paul J.; Randall, Ashley K.
• Is Part Of: Communication research. Volume 41:Number 5(2014:Jul.)
• Page Start: 665
• Page End: 689
• Publication Date: 2014-07
• Subjects: same-sex marriage -- pornography -- education -- 3AM model -- selective exposure; Communication -- Research -- Periodicals; 302.2
• DOI: 10.1177/0093650212471558
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0093-6502

Abstract

Many consider same-sex marriage the civil rights issue of our time. Although support is on the rise, there are some Americans who oppose same-sex marriage. Heterosexual males are a demographic group particularly likely to oppose same-sex marriage. Mass media and education are often thought of as important agents of socialization in American culture. Pornography in particular is a platform often discussed in terms of its impact on males' sexual attitudes. This study used nationally representative three-wave longitudinal data gathered from adult U.S. males to examine the over-time interplay between pornography consumption, education, and support for same-sex marriage. Support for same-sex marriage did not prospectively predict pornography consumption, but pornography consumption did prospectively predict support for same-sex marriage. Education was also positively associated with support for same-sex marriage. Scientific and social implications of these findings are discussed.