The topic for this study will be on psychosexual development of sexual scripts and sexual self-esteem among American youth. This study needs to be conducted because youth’s behaviors and perceptions are susceptible to learning myths and inaccuracies about sexuality based on sexually explicit content depicted in pornography. Objectives: 1. Improve psychosexual development among youth 2. Increase access to accurate sexual health information 3. Understand the narratives and sexual scripts of pornographic messages 4. Explore pornographic messages through critical evaluation of thematic content from participants 5. Demonstrate an understanding of how responsible and consensual sex is represented in real-life circumstances 6. Promoting healthy sexual scripts and sexual self-esteem Purpose: The purpose of this exploratory study will be to understand how sexual scripts/narratives influence sexual self-esteem, and to determine whether implementing a porn literacy program is effective in encouraging sexual responsibility and fostering sexual wellbeing among American youth. Goals: 1. Provide accurate information about pornography 2. Reframe sexually explicit messages depicted in pornography 3. Clarify and dispel myths learned through pornography 4. Build skills to discern between fantasy and reality, coercion and consent, and risk and responsibility

1. +
Measuring Sexual Scripts
and Sexual Self-Esteem
Among Youth:
A Pilot Study on the Porn
Literacy Program
Dissertation Proposal Defense
Kulkiran K. Nakai, M.A.
September 25, 2013

2. +
Statement of the Problem

Highest rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) among
youth between the ages of 20 to 24 and 15 to 19

Higher sexual risk-taking: unprotected sex and multiple partners

Early intercourse associated with substance use, truancy,
aggression, and behavioral deviance

Psychosocial Risk Factors: reduced knowledge about safer sex
practices, sexual pressures, powerlessness, conformity to social
norms, early intercourse, low academic achievement, and
impoverished family environments

Initiation of sexual activity positively associated with sexually
explicit content through media outlets

Strongly associated with emotional distress and low self-esteem

3. +

Statement of the Problem
Later and less learning of sex ed at home and in schools suggest:





(cont’d)
Practicing risk-taking behaviors
Holding more permissive views about sex
Developing a less secure identity against sexual pressure
Disregarding healthier values and safer decisions in risky situations
Seeking out sexual health information through Internet (i.e.,
pornography):




Alarming rate of unsolicited exposure to pornography at a young age
Failure to demonstrate healthy sexual relationships, use of contraceptives,
and associated consequences (i.e., unprotected sex, multiple partners,
coercive sex)
Highest percentage of depicting coercive and nonconsensual sex
Shapes misguided “sexual scripts” about real-life sexuality, relationships,
and scenarios

4. +
Internet Pornography Statistics

Each second approximately 28,258 consumers are viewing porn

11 million out of 70 million Internet porn consumers are 18-years of
age and younger

Higher percentages of Internet prescriptions to top porn sites are
among youth aged 15 to 24-years-old

66 percent lacked a disclaimer that warned users of adult content,
while only 3 percent required adult verification

90 percent of content displayed physical and verbal aggression

Promote additional risks such as sexually deviancy and sexual
offenses

Traumatic or negative emotional responses, misinformation about
human sexuality, overestimation of unusual sexual activities, sexual
compulsivity and addiction, and reinforcement of objectification of
humans and commoditization of sex

5. Increase
Decrease
(– )
Unhealthy
EXISTING LITERATURE
Sex Ed
=
Sexual Self-Efficacy
Sexually Explicit Content
=
Risk Taking
Sexual Self-Efficacy
( – ) Sexual Scripts = ( – ) Self-Image
Porn Consumption
=
Porn Compulsion
=
Males =
Sexual Health
Sexual Self-Efficacy
( – ) Sexual Scripts
Satisfaction
Porn Compulsion
Risk Taking
Satisfaction
Sexual Self-Efficacy
Risk Taking
Desensitization
Sexualization
Females =( – ) Sexual Scripts
Compulsion
Desensitization
Sensitization
Satisfaction
Sexual Self-Esteem =
Risk Taking
( ? ) Sexual Self-Esteem
±
( – ) Self-Image
( ? ) Sexual Scripts
±
Aggression
Mental Health
Satisfaction
( ? ) Porn Literacy

6. +
Statement of Purpose

Developmental time for youth to integrate sexuality in the
formulation of relationships and identity

Demonstrate an understanding of how responsible and
consensual sex is represented in real-life circumstances

Provide youth with sexual health information for promoting
healthy sexual scripts and sexual self-esteem

Encourage individuals to learn how to demonstrate healthy
sexuality, thereby promoting sexual wellbeing and improving
mental health

Determine whether implementing a porn literacy program is
effective in promoting healthier sexual scripts and sexual selfesteem among American youth

7. 1) What are the differences in sexual scripting and
sexual self-esteem based on gender and
race/ethnicity?
2) What are the differences in sexual scripting and
sexual self-esteem based on the amount of
pornography consumed?
3) Does gender, race/ethnicity, and amount of
pornography moderate the relationships between
sexual scripts and sexual self-esteem?
4) Does the relationship status moderate sexual
scripts and sexual self-esteem?
+
5) If there is a relationship between sexual scripts and
sexual self-esteem, how do these variables
influence sexual self-efficacy among youth?
RESEARCH QUESTIONS

8. +
Variables

Measurements
Outcome Variables:
 Sexual self-esteem, sexual scripts, and
program effectiveness

Moderating Variables:
 Gender, race/ethnicity, relationship status,
degree of porn consumption, age at first
exposure, and sexual self-efficacy

Measurements:
 Tailored demographic survey
 Sexual experience survey
 Exposure to sexual content survey
 Multidimensional Sexual Self-Concept
Questionnaire (MSSCQ) – Modified
Version
 Attitudes Toward Erotica Questionnaire
(ATEQ)
 Safe Sex Behaviors Questionnaire
(SSBQ)
Design

Manipulated Variable:
 Porn literacy program / intervention


Quasi-experimental design (qualitative and
quantitative)

Methodology


9. +

Procedures

Data Analysis
Procedure:
 Time 1 (pre-intervention) and Time 2
(post-intervention) questionnaire
packets
 Administer 45-minute intervention
 Raffled incentive for participation

Data Analysis:
 Baron & Kenny: determine if amount
of pornography consumed moderates
the degree of pre-post intervention
change in sexual self-esteem, sexual
scripting, and sexual self-efficacy
 Mann-Whitney: compare between
demographic variables, including
gender, race/ethnicity, and relationship
status
(cont’d)
Sample

Sample Characteristics (n ≅ 54):
 English speaking East-West
University students between 18– to
24–years–old
 Matched sample pre-enrolled in
Human Sexuality course (participants
assigned numerical identities)

Methodology


10. + Porn Literacy Intervention
Theoretically-based, 21st century approach to education:

45-minutes: interactive, appealing, positive, spirited, sassy,
and informative

Facilitate critical thinking and meaning making that enable
youth to identify assumptions about porn stars, masculinity,
femininity, sexual orientation, racism and sexism, power,
consent, heterosexism, and society’s expectations of
female beauty and treatment of women (i.e., misogyny)

Quest for meaning:
Professional
Consultations:
 Illinois Caucus
for Adolescent
Health (ICAH)
 Chicago Sex
Therapy Network
(CSTN)

How porn constructs reality

Context of messages depicted in porn

Organizational or cultural industries that produce porn
 about-face.org

Technologies of production, distribution, and
reception
 Dr. Marty Klein

How porn represents individuals and groups
 Lea Caughlan

Different ways in which audiences respond to and
use Internet porn

11. ( H1) there will be an increase in sexual self-esteem
after the porn literacy intervention program
( H2) moderating variables such as gender,
race/ethnicity, relationship status, age at first
exposure to pornography, degree of pornography
consumption, and sexual self-efficacy will have a
significant effect on sexual self-esteem and sexual
scripts
( H3) there will be more balance in permissive
attitudes and scripts about pornography after the
literacy intervention program
( H4) participants will rate the effectiveness of the
porn literacy program as positive and helpful.
+
HYPOTHESES
It is hypothesized that increased porn consumption may reduce the impact of the porn literacy intervention,
increased sexual self-esteem may serve to enhance the effectiveness of the intervention. This study predicts
that those who consume a high amount of pornography will not be as impacted by the porn literacy intervention
program, whereas those who consume a low amount of pornography will have developed healthier sexual selfesteem and thus be more impacted by the porn literacy intervention program and more likely to modify their
sexual scripts and enhance potential sexual self-efficacy.

12. 1. Improve psychosexual development among youth
2. Increase access to accurate sexual health
information
3. Challenge media influenced sexual scripting
4. Encourage critical thinking about race, gender,
sexual orientation, and misogyny depicted in
sexually explicit material
5. Build skills to discern between fantasy and reality,
coercion and consent, and risk and responsibility
6. Reconstruct sexual misperceptions and promote
sexual responsibility and sexual wellbeing among
youth
+
OBJECTIVES

13. +
Expected Timeline
*fingers crossed