1. Girl Power or Powerless Girl
Girl Power or Powerless Girl? Television, Sexual Scripts, and Sexual Agency in Sexually Active Young Women
By Rita C. Seabrook, L. Monique Ward, Lilia M. Cortina, Soraya Giaccardi, and Julia R. Lippman
Teaching slides prepared by Clare M. Mehta

2. Summary of Article
This article reported on a study that modeled the associations between television use, acceptance of gendered sexual scripts, and sexual agency, (operationalized as sexual assertiveness, condom use self-efficacy, and sexual shame) in 415 sexually active undergraduate women.
Television exposure and perceived realism of television content was related to greater endorsement of gendered sexual scripts, which was related to lower sexual agency.
Endorsement of gendered sexual scripts mediated the association between TV use and sexual agency.

3. Discussion Questions

4. Sexual Scripts
Why might sexual scripts be especially salient among college-aged women?

5. Sexual Scripts
What do you think are some of the negative outcomes from having internalized gendered sexual scripts
For women
For men
Are there any positive outcomes?

6. Impact of Media on Sexuality
Why is it important to understand how the media might impact not only women’s level of sexual experience, but also sexual assertiveness, passivity, and affect?
Why do you think women’s sexual assertiveness, passivity, and affect have not been studied as much as sexual experience?

7. Media Engagement
The authors suggest that emerging adults spend more time watching TV than engaging with other forms of media, including the internet and smartphones.
Why do you think this is?
Do you expect this to change?
Do you think different types of media socialize emerging adults in different ways?

8. Sexual Agency Why is important for women to have sexual agency?
Are there examples of women with sexual agency on television? How are they viewed/treated?

9. Sexual Agency
The authors found that TV viewing lead to increased endorsement of gendered sexual scripts which in turn lead to lower sexual agency. What type of television programming could increase women’s sexual agency?

10. Sexual Agency
Why might there be a focus on women’s sexual risk, rather than their sexual agency, in the literature?

11. Sexual Agency
The authors note that some researchers have suggested that frequent portrayals of women’s sexuality reflect women's increasing sexual agency.
Do you agree with this statement?
Why or why not?
Are there issues that arise television’s portrayal's of women’s sexual agency?

12. Endorsement of Sexual Scripts
Why do women endorse sexual scripts?
What happens when women don’t endorse sexual scripts?

13. Other Media Sources
How do other forms of media (e.g. internet, smartphones, video games) present gendered sexual scripts?
Do you think these other types of media could have the same level of impact as television on gendered sexual scripts?
Could these other types of media disrupt gendered sexual scripts in some way?

14. What About Other Groups?
How might the results have looked with a more diverse sample?
How are women of color portrayed on television in terms of gendered sexual scripts?
Do you think television viewing might impact lesbian women’s sexual scripts?

15. What Next?
After reading this study, what research would you like to see done next?

16. Final Thoughts?
Did anything else come up for you in reading this article that we didn't discuss?