Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!seismo!gatech!akgua!lcuxlm!whuxl!whuts!orb From: orb@whuts.UUCP (SEVENER) Newsgroups: talk.politics.misc,net.legal,net.singles Subject: Re: Attorney General's Commission on Pornography Message-ID: <988@whuts.UUCP> Date: Fri, 12-Sep-86 09:39:32 EDT Article-I.D.: whuts.988 Posted: Fri Sep 12 09:39:32 1986 Date-Received: Sat, 13-Sep-86 21:01:35 EDT References: <777@mtund.UUCP> Distribution: net Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories Lines: 38 Xref: mnetor talk.politics.misc:73 net.legal:3539 net.singles:10278 > Mark Terribile (mtx5b!mark) writes: > > Assuming that non-psychotic male college students are representative of > > normal people (a point that no one has yet seen fit to argue, although it's > > a good one) the studies which showed an increased willingness to cause another > > person pain or to disregard the sexual rights of women after the subjects had > > viewed a couple hours of such material suggest that these things may happen, > > and that at the very least we should fund further studies and (where it may be > > done within the limits of scientific ethics) further experiments to find out > > more. (And yes, the Commission recommends this.) $500 000 is just not enough > > to answer these questions properly. > > The study Mark refers to was conducted like this: Some male college > students are given an attitude survey. They are then crowded into a > small, darkened room, and made to view a piece of violent pornography on > a flickering movie projector. They are then given the attitude survey > again, and, presto, they appear more willing to disregard the sexual > rights of women. How come? > > First, the manner in which people fill out surveys depends not only on > their attitudes, but also on their physiological state. In particular, > adrenergic arousal will lead people to appear less tolerant of the > rights of others, even if their attitudes did not in fact change. And > certain stimuli are known to increase adrenergic arousal: crowding, > darkness, flickering lights, depiction of violence. In the light of > what we know about human behavior, pornography was not really > necessary to produce the reported result. In all probability, Buggs > Bunny cartoons would have worked equally well. The obvious follow up > (which would not have cost 5 grand, much less half a million, but which > in fact was never done, leading to certain obvious conclusions about the > scientific motivation of the investigators) is to eliminate crowding, > darkness, and flicker, and then compare the effects of a non-violent > sex video with those of a Buggs Bunny cartoon of equal duration. Anyone > care to bet on the result? > Adam Reed (mtund!adam) Road Runner cartoons are excellent examples of nonviolence.... How about showing them "Rambo" or "Dirty Harry"? tim sevener whuxn!orb