Pornography, Effects of Exposure to

For as long as people have been able to draw and write, they have created pornography. Greek vases and Roman brothels contain ancient, sexually explicit images. Modern technologies for delivering sexually explicit images, such as the Internet, have made pornography ubiquitous. The affordability, accessibility, and anonymity of Internet pornography have also [Page 602]proved a boon to the industry. The total market for adult material in the United States is now estimated to be $13 billion a year.

The subjective experience of viewing sexually explicit materials and societal reactions to their availability are characterized by shifting definitions and mores. Over the past 150 years, concern about the psychological effects of exposure to pornography on the viewer's character, morality, and, lately, tendency to engage in sexually violent behavior has driven social/legal policy as well as social science research on the problem of pornography.

Psychological investigations have focused on how the thoughts, attitudes, and behaviors of individuals are influenced by exposure to sexually explicit messages. To understand pornography research, it is useful to consider it in the context of the debate about pornography's effects in society. The terms of this debate have often framed the research agenda. One way of organizing the theory and research on the effects of sexually explicit material is by the normative concepts pornography, erotica, and obscenity. The term obscene is derived from the Latin ob, meaning “to,” and caenum, meaning “filth.” Obscenity has traditionally been associated with filth and offensiveness, disgust, shame, and the idea of insulting or breaching an accepted community moral standard. Pornography is derived from the Greek porne, meaning “whore,” and graphein, meaning “to write.” Pornography then literally means the “writing of harlots” or the depiction of women as prostitutes. Erotica, derived from the Greek god Eros, refers to sexual love. It is often used to refer to literary or artistic works that have a sexual quality or theme.