1. Music Selectivity & Sexual Risk
Chrysalis Wright & Mark Rubin
University of Central Florida
University of Newcastle
Abstract
The current study examined the relationship between sexual content in music lyrics and videos and the early dating and sexual behaviors and sexual risk among emerging adults from both the United States and Australia. Based on the reinforcing spirals perspective, it was hypothesized that participants who demonstrated early dating and sexual behaviors would self-select exposure to music containing sexual references. Exposure to sexual content in music, then, would reinforce participants pre-existing behaviors and result in increased sexual risk. Sexual content in music lyrics and videos were assessed using content analysis of the top artists rated by participants in the United States and Australia. Findings indicated variations in sexual content based on music genre. Results indicated international, ethnic, and gender variations in exposure to sexual content in music as well as dating and sexual behaviors and sexual risk. Findings also supported the main hypothesis in that those who reported early dating and sexual behaviors reported self-selecting exposure to music containing sexual references, which then was associated with increased sexual risk.
Results
Intercorrelation of Study Variables
Intercorrelations of study measures can be found in Table 1. Of particular interest was that exposure to sexual content in music lyrics were associated with both early dating and sexual behaviors and increased sexual risk. Exposure to sexual content in music videos, however, were associated with early dating and sexual behaviors but not increased sexual risk. There was also a positive correlation between early dating and sexual behaviors and sexual risk.
Early Dating and Sexual Behaviors, Music Selected Exposure, and Sexual Risk
In order to test the hypothesis that participants who demonstrated early dating and sexual behaviors self-selected exposure to sexual content in music lyrics and videos, which then increased sexual risk, we used Hayes’ (2013) bootstrapping method. The total effect of early dating and sexual behaviors on sexual risk was significant, b = 1.19, SE = .20, t (1414) = 6.00, p = .00, 95% CI (.80, 1.58), and the direct effect controlling for exposure to sexual content in music was also significant, b = 1.14, SE = .20, t (1414) = 5.70, p = .00, 95% CI (.75, 1.53). The indirect effect was significant for total exposure to sexual content in music lyrics, b = .07, SE = .03, 95% CI (.03, .14) and total exposure to sexual content in music videos, b = -.02, SE = .02, 95% CI (-.07, .03). These results indicate a mediation effect. As can be seen in Figure 1, early dating and sexual behaviors is related to exposure to sexual content in music, which is then related to increased sexual risk among participants.
Discussion
The present study examined the relationship between sexual content in music lyrics and videos and the sexual risk of emerging adults. The primary goal of this study was to test the hypothesis that participants who demonstrated early dating and sexual behaviors would self-select exposure to sexual content in music. The sexual content in music, then, would reinforce participants early dating and sexual behaviors and increase sexual risk. Furthermore, it was hypothesized that these relationships would generalize across the USA and Australia. To test this hypothesis, the current study collected data from both countries.
Results of the current study are able to partially explain the relationship between sexual content in music and the risky sexual behaviors of emerging adults that has been documented in previous research. In line with the reinforcing spirals perspective (Slater 2007; 2015), it appears as though participants who demonstrated early sexual behaviors self-selected exposure to sexual content in music lyrics and videos. It may be that consumers self-select media out of curiosity or to obtain information about sex. Exposure to this form of media, then, reinforced participants’ early dating and sexual behaviors and increased their sexual risk.
Method
The current study was part of a larger study of sexual content in music lyrics, videos, and social media and the dating and sexual behaviors, sexual cognitions, and sexual risk among emerging adults in the USA and Australia. Considering the large size of the original data set and the multiple, complex variables, it was necessary to engage in multiple analyses.
Participants were recruited from America and Australia. Australian participants included 514 college students, the majority of which identified as Caucasian (91.8%) and female (78.4%). The mean age of Australian participants was years. American participants included 902 college students, the majority of which identified as Caucasian (68%) and female (71.7%). The mean age of American participants was years.
Participants answered demographic items followed by questions related to social class and early dating and sexual behaviors. Participants also completed Turchik and Garske’s sexual risk survey.
Participants rated 55 music artists on how frequently they watched music videos of the artists. Ratings ranged from 1(never) to 5 (daily). Exposure to sexual content in music lyrics and corresponding videos were based on measures of content analysis using the frequency method for the most current popular songs performed by the top 25 rated artists by participants using two independent raters. Raters coded for sexual behavior and body language, sexual language, and demeaning messages. Songs for each artist were selected from the top-40 charts that had been given air play on radio stations and music television. Inter-rater reliability was assessed using intra class reliability and was good for USA artists’ lyrical (.97) and video content (.92) as well as Australian artists’ lyrical (.94) and video content (.91). Exposure variables for the American and Australian samples were then created for exposure to sexual references via lyrics and videos by multiplying self-reported listening and viewing habits of each of the top rated artists by the average content contained in music lyrics and videos. The total exposure variables for music lyrics and videos were used in analysis.
Table 1. Intercorrelations of Study Variables 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
10.
11.
1.Country
.07**
.02
-.19***
-.22***
-.66***
-.16***
.42***
-.50***
.08**
.15***
2.Gender
-.03
.01
-.05#
-.05*
.13***
3.Social Class
-.08***
.05#
-.01
.08***
4.Hispanic
-.08**
-.23***
.00
.03
5.African American
-.26***
-.06*
-.20***
-.14***
6.White
-.18***
-.25***
.28***
-.02
7.Asian
.14***
-.04
8.Music Lyrics
.16***
.12***
.09***
9.Music Videos
-.12***
10.Sexual Risk
11.Early Dating and Sexual Behaviors
Figure 1: Mediational Model
Note: Beta values unstandardized. Values in parentheses represent total effects.
*p <.01, **p <.001
*p<.05, **p<.01,***p<.001, #p<.10