How might the survey method be used to clarify the three assertions with which we began this chapter? The first assertion, concerning violent media and men’s likelihood to develop abusive attitudes and behaviors toward women, has been the subject of a number of surveys.
One of the most notable studies involved 222 male nonoffender college students who were administered a questionnaire regarding their use of pornography and their self-reported likelihood of committing rape or using sexual force. Of these men, 81% had used nonviolent pornography during the previous year, whereas 35% had used sexually violent pornography. Of the subjects who had used sexually violent pornography, many more indicated a likelihood of raping or using sexual force against a woman than did subjects who used only nonviolent pornography (Demare et al., 1988). Other
Sex research. Methods and problems
surveys of different populations of men (including some imprisoned rapists) have provided further indications that exposure to sexually violent media can lead to increased tolerance for sexually aggressive behavior, greater acceptance of the myth that women want to be raped, reduced sensitivity to rape victims, desensitization to violence against women, and, in some cases, an increased probability of committing a rape (Donnerstein & Linz, 1984; Rosen & Beck, 1988).
The second assertion, concerning the effect of alcohol on sexual responsiveness, has also been the subject of survey research. One study conducted in 1970 asked 20,000 middle — and upper-middle-class Americans whether drinking enhanced their sexual pleasure (Athanasiou et al., 1970). Most respondents answered yes—60% stated that alcohol helped put them "in the mood" for sex, with a significantly higher proportion of women providing this response. This finding should be interpreted with some caution, however, because peoples memories of events can differ considerably from their actual behaviors. For the third assertion, regarding the superiority of vaginal orgasms, any survey results would also need to be interpreted with caution, for the same reasons. A more appropriate method for studying this question is direct observation, to which we turn next.