RUNNING HEAD: TELEVISION AND ADOLESCENTS’ SEXUAL ATTITUDES
Television viewing and young adolescents’ beliefs and assumptions about sexual relationships:
The “effect” of different program clusters at different experience levels
Abstract
Several studies reported positive relationships between emerging adults' television viewing and
assumptions about peer sexual experiences and sexual stereotypes. In this paper, these relationships are
re-investigated in a younger sample. Furthermore, the moderating influence of sexual experience is
examined: does real-life sexual experience reinforce the effect of television exposure, or does it make the
expected relationships disappear? Respondents from a sample of 12- to 15-year-olds (N = 2121) reported
on their viewing diet, estimated the prevalence of given sexual activities, and rated stereotypes about
males as being preoccupied with sex, males as dominating sexual relations, and sex as a purely physical
activity. Results demonstrated connections between television viewing and sexual beliefs. More
specifically, greater exposure to early evening comedy series, youth action series, soap operas and late
evening action series were repeatedly associated to sexual attitudes. Further exploration showed that some
of these relationships become stronger as sexual experience levels progress.