Examining Heterosexual Women's Social Comparisons and Perceptions of Sexual Competition with Porn Stars

<p>The current study investigated women’s social comparisons and perceptions of sexual competition with porn stars they imagined their romantic partners viewed for purposes of private masturbation. Two novel predictors were considered, the body size (thin vs. plus-size) and facial attractiveness (high vs. low) of the porn stars, to investigate conditions that were more or less threatening to women’s relationship satisfaction, sexual satisfaction, facial satisfaction, body satisfaction, and sexual desirability. Results from a 2 x 2 between-subjects online experiment (<em>N</em> = 762) suggest that women’s downward comparisons with porn stars’ facial attractiveness resulted in positive effects on facial satisfaction and downward comparisons with porn stars’ body size resulted in positive effects on relationship satisfaction, sexual satisfaction, and sexual desirability. Women’s upward comparisons with porn stars’ body size resulted in negative effects on sexual desirability.</p> <p>Facially attractive (vs. unattractive) porn stars evoked more emotional jealousy, however thin (vs. plus-size) porn stars did not. Emotional jealousy mediated the pathway between exposure to facially attractive (vs. unattractive) porn stars and negative interpersonal and intrapersonal satisfaction outcomes. However, emotional jealousy did not mediate the pathway between exposure to thin (vs. plus-size) porn stars and negative interpersonal or intrapersonal satisfaction outcomes. Women also perceived their romantic partners were comparing their faces and bodies to the facially attractive and thin porn stars which elicited emotional jealousy. This comparison threat also mediated the pathway between exposure to facially attractive porn stars and thin porn stars on emotional jealousy. The findings from the present study offers more insight into the boundary conditions and pathways that provoke better or worse satisfaction outcomes for women in romantic relationships as it relates to their partners’ pornography use.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Communication

Year

2023

Author dc:creator

• Journeay, Jessica

Contributors dc:contributor

• Dr. Megan A. Vendemia
• Dr. Rebecca Tukachinsky Forster
• Dr. Jennifer L. Bevan
• Dr. Paul J. Wright

• pornography
• body image
• jealousy
• social comparison
• porn stars
• Communication

Repository record dc:identifier

https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/communication_dissertations/6

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:digitalcommons.chapman.edu:communication_dissertations-1005