Why Do You Watch This Rough Stuff? Assessing Predictors of Female Pornography Preferences

Different studies show that women are, on average, more interested than men in pornographic themes related to dominance and submission, including rape. Using a biopsychosocial approach, a total of 571 women, representative of age and education level, from Germany, were studied to explore the factors influencing the consumption of such pornography. Participants were experimentally exposed to either a consensual written pornographic stimulus or one dealing with rape, and their subjective (psychological) sexual arousal was assessed. Additionally, we investigated various traits encompassing societal influences (such as acceptance of rape myths and previous use of violent sexual pornography) and biological-evolutionary factors (including sex drive, K-factor, and the onset of menarche). Our research showed that both rape myth acceptance and sex drive significantly impacted reported sexual arousal in response to the different stimuli. Additionally, women who had previously engaged with violent pornography tended to exhibit higher arousal when exposed to a rape stimulus. Aside from sex drive, the other biological-evolutionary factors were not significant predictors. These results prompt a discussion within the context of influences on the consumption of rape pornography, such as socialization. Our interpretation does not support the notion that a minority of women engage in fast life-history strategies, as suggested by prior research.