Variety Versus Timing

Abstract

This study examined whether the relationship between exposure to sexually oriented television and sexual expectations differed by gender, controlling for several key variables including characteristics of past or current romantic relationship, perceived reality of television, and the motivation to watch television to learn about the world. The results of a questionnaire completed by 202 (96 males, 106 females) college undergraduates revealed that exposure to sexually oriented television was related in males to an expectation of a broad range of sexual activities in relationships, and in females to the expectation of earlier sex in relationships, even after controlling for key variables. Also, the viewing-television-to-learn motive predicted an expectation of a variety of sexual activities to occur in a relationship for males.