Althea Jarvis

Literature Review

Topic: An investigation into the effects of viewing sexual content on television, on adolescents
sexual attitudes and behaviours.
As technology continues to progress the role of media has played a big part in the lives of
many teens, thereby exposing them to some sexual content. Due to this many theories have been
proposed to give explanations into the ways that viewing the sexual content on television can
affect the sexuality of adolescents. This literature review will look into 5 previous researches
done and give an insight into the problem.
Lund and Blaedon (2003) conducted a study in which 113 female students between the
ages of 18-24 were participants of a research, in which they were exposed to one stimulus,
thereby influencing their response to another stimulus (known as priming effect). This study
focused on the role of television on sexual perceptions. Lund and Blaedon found that the
respondents who were previously exposed to music videos were less likely than those that were
not exposed to the music videos, to rate the scenarios they were given to as sexual. However, the
research did not prove that television is influential on sexual attitudes and perceptions, causing
them to suggest that participants already have a high level of media consumption beforehand,
thereby reducing the effects of media. My study will also examine the influence of music videos
on adolescent sexuality; however it will look into both male and female students attitudes.
Moswang and Ruane (2009) performed interviews with young females between the ages
of 16 and 17 in Africa in order to find out how television influences the sexual attitudes of young
girls in Africa. They came to the conclusion that the adolescent girls felt as though their sexual
attitudes and behaviour was influenced by the television, although the consequences coming
from sex were rarely shown, therefore promoting them to indulge in risqu behaviour.
Television plays a major part in shaping the adolescent attitudes and behaviour and its frequent
viewing encouraged them to adopt the beliefs and behaviours shown on television.
Izrael (2015) conducted a research on the television viewings and attitudes of
adolescents. It was shown that adolescent spent most of their time in front of the television or a
computer screen. He went on to say that unlike the past where television watching was meant as
a family gathering, people preferred to watch it alone in recent time, and this is made possible as
adolescents are given television in their rooms. Due to this, the amount of time spent watching

Althea Jarvis
Literature Review

television without parental supervision increases. In Izraels research, he relayed questionnaires

to 486 students between the ages of 14 and 15. It showed that adolescents who watched
television more than 2 hours a day were more likely to agree with pre-marital sex, than those
who watched television for less than 2 hours. However adolescents who seemed to have an
attachment to the church had strong disagreements about pre-marital sex as they valued tradition.
He further went on to say that certain television programs approved the idea of pre-marital sex.
This study has helped me in showing that religion also plays a role in adolescents sexual
behaviours and attitudes.
In a study done by Ward and Friedman (2006) it was found that exposing adolescents to
specific sexual stereotypes affected their acceptance of the notions. Although the effects brought
about by the exposure may be short-lived, it would most likely be repeated due to the stimuli
which came from a popular television program. Therefore, when similar scenes and images are
viewed, it builds up the belief of the stereotype. The study showed that television use was
somewhat linked to the sexual attitudes of adolescents and it helps to shape and guide their
sexual experiences.
This study will gather views on the perceptions of sexual content on television by
adolescents and also give an insight into the factors that may contribute to the adaption of sexual
content in media by adolescents.

Althea Jarvis
References

Izrael, P. (2015). Television Viewing and Attitudes of Adolescent to Pre-marital Sex, Marriage
and Homosexual Partnerships. European Journal of Science and Theology, 11, p 43-58.

Lund, S., & Blaedon, L. (2003). Sex and the media: The impact of television habits on sexual
perception. Journal of Undergraduate Research, 6, p 1-6.
Moswang, T., & Ruane, I. (2009). The influence of television on adolescent girls sexual attitudes
and behaviour. New Voices in Psychology, 5, p 86-104
Ward, L.M. & Friedman, K. (2006). Using TV as a guide: Associations between television
viewing and adolescents sexual attitudes and behaviour. Journal of research on
adolescence, 16, p133-156.