Priming Effects of Online Sexual Purity Tests
Student Researchers: Jennifer Ngai (Undergraduate Student). This paper is based on an honor's thesis project.
Faculty Supervisor: Dr. Shyam Sundar Sethuraman
Ngai, J., & Sundar, S. (2003, May). Priming effects of online sexual purity tests. Paper presented to the Mass Communication Division at the 33rd annual convention of the International Communication Association (ICA), San Diego, CA.
Abstract
Theoretical perspectives on priming, combined with previous research on perceptual effects of exposure to pornography and other sexual media, were used to propose two hypotheses about the effects of online sexual purity tests upon perceptions of sexual norms among young females. These hypotheses were tested by way of a six-condition, between-participants experiment wherein female college students (N = 114) were randomly assigned to either a control condition (in which participants were not exposed to any version of the test) or one of five treatment conditions featuring the same basic purity test with concentrations of items pertaining to different sexual activities. Following this, a paper-and-pencil questionnaire elicited participants' perceptions of the prevalence of specific sexual activities among their peers. Results indicated that when interacting with variables such as prior sexual experience and views about premarital sex, purity test-taking does affect perceptions of specific sexual activity prevalence among peers. However, the relationships between purity test-taking and perceptions of sexual activity prevalence among peers did not consistently go in the hypothesized direction. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
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