Pleasure Reading: Associations Between Young Women’s Sexual

Attitudes and their Reading of Contemporary Women's Magazines

Brittany Sutter, Jackie Hallstrom, Andre Krouse, Samantha Brown

Video

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XUBnzp3BBw

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0nIXUjzyMe0

Objective

• Goal 1 - examine the relation between young women’s use of contemporary women’s magazines and both their attitudes about sexual roles and their femininity ideologies

• Goal 2 - shed light on the connections between young women’s magazine use and their sexual socialization, taking into account the variety of diverse and often opposing sexual messages conveyed by this genre and considering multiple dimensions of magazine use

Participants

• 205 Female undergraduate survey participants – 17 to 24 year of age (M=19.08)– Introduction to Psychology course requirement at

The University of Michigan– 69% Caucasian– 17% Asian/Pacific islander– 9% African American– 4% Latina– 1% Multi-cultural

• Asked to indicate whether they had ever had sexual intercourse.– 0 = Virgin– 1 = Sexually Experienced– Result: 48% were sexually experienced

• Asked to indicate their Religiosity based on a on a 5-point scale.– How religious are you?– How often do you attend religious services? – Result: (M = 3.55)

Participants

Materials:Level of Magazine readings

• Adult-Focused magazines– Allure, Cosmopolitan, Elle, Glamour, Jane,

Mademoiselle, Marie Claire, Mirabella• Teen-Focused magazines

– Seventeen, Teen, YM

Participants were asked to complete a reading motivation measure— “I like to read women’s magazines...” Followed by 22 possible reasons to rate on a 6-point scale.

1. Entertainment Motives—fun, enjoyable, relaxing. (M = 4.78)

2. Connectedness to Women Motives—to understand other women, learn about women’s lives. (M = 3.63)

3. Self and Appearance Motives—to get beauty, health, weight loss tips. (M = 3.77)

4. Sex Advice Motives—to get information about sex and relationships, to understand what men like. (M = 3.47)

Reading Motivations

Attitudes about Sex Roles and Sexual Relationships

• Measured on a 6-point scale the extent to which they agreed or disagreed with each of the following 5 statements. (Higher scores represent greater acceptance of the viewpoint).

1. Stereotypical Male Sexual Role Subscale—tests assumptions that men are sex driven, lack relationship skills, and fearful of commitment. (M = 3.47)

2. Submissive/Alluring Female Sexual Role Subscale— tests notions that women should be passive, indirect, physically attractive and coy in attracting men—”using her body and looks is the best way for a women to attract a man.” (M = 2.99)

Attitudes about Sex Roles and Sexual Relationships

1. Female Sexual Role Subscale—tests beliefs that women should be sexually assertive and should focus on their own sexual pleasure—”women should learn to be sexually skilled to derive the most pleasure from their sexual encounters.” (M = 3.76)

2. Sex as a Recreation Subscale—focuses on sexual intercourse as a fun and casual activity. (M = 1.63)

3. Sex as a Risk Subscale—tests about the physical and emotional risks associated with sexual intercourse—” the risk of AIDs and other STDs is reason enough to avoid sex before marriage.” (M = 4.10)

Results for Research Question 1 • More frequent reading of adult-focused magazines was associated

with strong support of both the sexually assertive female role and a view of sex as recreation

• Frequent magazine reading was equally more likely to view sex as a fun, casual recreational activity and to be supportive of women taking charge in their sexual relationship

• More frequent reading of adult focused magazines was associated with less support of a view that equates sex with risk and danger

• Heavy teen-focused magazine reading was associated with stronger support of a stereotypical male sexual role. They felt women should be viewed as submissive and alluring in ways that will get men’s attention

Results for Research Question 2• Being highly motivated to read contemporary women’s

magazines was associated with stronger endorsement of both the stereotypical male sexual role and the sexually assertive female role.

• Reading magazines for sexual or appearance advice was associated with a submissive alluring female sexual role and the objectifying of one’s own body.

• Motivated to read for sex advice was further associated with women’s stronger endorsement of a recreational view of sex and their greater proclivity to censor their voices in relationships with others.

Results• Sexually experienced participants were associated with being less

likely to use inauthentic voice• Greater exposure to adult focused magazines was associated with

less self-censorship• Reading contemporary magazines for entertainment purposes was

assoc with more self-censorship• Being sexually experienced was assoc with being less likely to

objectify ones own body• Those highly motivated to read women's magazines for appearance

advice was associated with a stronger inclination to objectify ones own body

• Reading for the connection with other women was associated with a weaker inclination to do so

Critical Review• Positives• 1. There were four subcategories for why women read the magazines.• 2. In studying entertainment media, most data has been collected from television

and movies. This study elaborated on that by looking at the influence of magazines• 3. Taking background information into account. (sexual experience and religiosity)• Cons • 1. The participants are only 205 female college students from the University of

Michigan. Of those, they were predominately (69%) Caucasian and college-aged (M= 19.08). The study cannot be applied to both an adult and teenage population.

• 2. The study cannot imply causation. The author’s aren’t sure if teens are reading the magazines because they already possess a certain attitude or if they’re acquiring the attitude from reading the magazines.

• 3. The scale used for measuring sexual experience only had the option of either virgin or non-virgin. There are different levels of sexual experience that weren’t accounted for. It would have been more effective to offer a Likert scale.

Reference

• Kim, J. & Ward, M. (2004). Pleasure Reading: Associations Between Young Women’s Sexual Attitudes and Their Reading of Contemporary Women’s Magazines. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 28, 48-58.