Attraction to sexual aggression and physical affection : an initial investigation

Research has demonstrated that for a significant minority of men, exposure to sexually violent media results in a series of changes. These men are more likely to be sexually aroused by sexually violent stimuli, and also believe in certain rape myths and admit a greater likelihood to sexual aggression. The construct Attraction to Sexual Aggression, which comprises the affective, cognitive and behavioral responses to sexually aggressive media, has been proposed by Malamuth (1989a, 1989b). The Attraction to Sexual Aggression Scale has been developed as a dependent measure of the construct. A study by Malamuth and Check (1983) proposed that lack of pleasurable physically affectionate experiences with women may contribute to sexual aggression. This proposal reflects the theory put forward by Prescott (1977), who hypothesized that lack of physical affection at critical stages of development results in a greater propensity towards aggressive behavior. The current study is an initial investigation into attraction to sexual aggression and physical affection experiences