Associations Between Young Adults' Use of Sexually Explicit Materials and Their Sexual Preferences, Behaviors, And Satisfaction‪.‬

Young adulthood is a time of sexual exploration and development (Arnett, 2004; Lefkowitz & Gillen, 2006), and many researchers have explored the role of media in this process, finding that sexual images in mainstream media outlets, as well as more sexually explicit materials (SEMs), are important sources of information for adolescents and young adults (e.g., Brown, 2006; Peter & Valkenburg, 2007; Traeen, Sorheim-Nilsen, & Stigum, 2006; Ward, 2003). With the proliferation of available sexually explicit media in the last 10 years, researchers are beginning to turn their attention to the ways in which contemporary youth in particular are being impacted by sexually explicit media (e.g., Carroll et al., 2008; Peter & Valkenburg, 2006, 2009; Stulhofer, Busko, & Landripet, 2010). Despite a long history of research on sexually explicit media, much of this research has become outdated as a result of significant technological shifts that have drastically changed the way people access SEM--namely, Internet-based access has increased substantially in the last decade (Buzzell, 2005). Additionally, research on SEM has traditionally focused on potential links between SEM and sexual violence (e.g., Bensimon, 2007; Malamuth, Addison, & Koss, 2000; Marshall, 1988) and its associations with sexual compulsions or addiction (e.g., Cooper, Delmonico, & Burg, 2000; Delmonico, 1997) as opposed to its use among non-clinical, normative samples. Although these are important areas of investigation, given that many teens and the majority of young adults report viewing sexually explicit media (e.g., Braun-Courville & Rojas, 2009; Cameron et al., 2005), it is also important to examine potential associations between SEM use and more normative sexual and romantic relationship development during young adulthood. As such, this study seeks to further our understanding of how levels of SEM use during adolescence and young adulthood are associated with certain sexual behaviors, sexual and relationship satisfaction, and sexual preferences reflective of those commonly presented in SEM.