Love, Suspense, Sex, and Violence: Men's and Women's Film Predilections, Exposure to Sexually Violent Media, and their Relationship to Rape Myth Acceptance

Sex Roles (2006) 55:311320 DOI 10.1007/s11199-006-9085-0

ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Love, Suspense, Sex, and Violence: Mens and Womens Film Predilections, Exposure to Sexually Violent Media, and their Relationship to Rape Myth Acceptance

Tara M. Emmers-Sommer & Perry Pauley &

Alesia Hanzal & Laura Triplett

Published online: 21 November 2006 # Springer Science + Business Media, Inc. 2006

Abstract This investigation addressed the relationship between mens and womens predilections for film with a love story, suspense, or sex and violence theme and how that predilection related to rape myth acceptance (RMA). Also examined was how mens and womens predilections, as they related to RMA, were moderated by exposure to different levels of sexually violent media based on a true story. Finally, the relationship between traditional attitudes and film predilection, as well as the relationship between film predilection and attitudes toward film editing, were investigated. Results indicate that men prefer film with sex and violence significantly more than women do, whereas women prefer love stories significantly more than men do. Those with sex and violence film predilections are more accepting of RMA than those with love story or suspense predilections. Womens film predilections and their relationship to RMA attitudes are moderated to an extent by

exposure to sexually violent media based on a true story, whereas mens attitudes remain unaffected. Finally, those with sex and violence film predilections are less in favor of film editing than are those with suspense or love story predilections. Theoretical explanations for the findings are discussed and their implications.

Keywords Film predilection . Gender differences . Rape myth acceptance . Film editing

As society evolves, so do the mass media. Particular to sexual and/or violent media, there has been a trend in increased visual intensity and graphicness. Indeed, what was considered too graphic to receive an R rating a few decades ago is now considered tempered or mainstream by many. For example, just a few decades ago films like The Exorcist and Midnight Cowboy garnered X ratings due to violent and/or sexual content. Today, those movies have been adjusted to an R rating. Perhaps we, as viewers, have become more desensitized. In a word, material apparently needs to be increasingly shocking and graphic for many of us to consider it to be out of...