This paper reviews work on the relation between pornography and sexual
aggression, covering experimental research on arousal, attitudes, and
laboratory aggression, and some correlational studies. The term porno
graphy is intended to cover the materials used in the relevant researc
h, although not all of these would necessarily be seen as ''pornograph
ic.'' The main body of the review is divided between ''aggressive'' an
d ''not specifically aggressive'' pornography, with some consideration
in the discussion of the nature of supposedly ''nonaggressive'' porno
graphy. In the case of sexually aggressive pornography, a variety of u
ndesirable effects have been observed. Males show equal sexual arousal
to pornographic rape depictions and consenting intercourse depictions
under certain ''disinhibiting'' circumstances, such as anger or depic
ted victim pleasure, and these disinhibitors can also produce increase
d laboratory aggression against female targets by males exposed to agg
ressive pornography. Aggressive and, to some extent, not specifically
aggressive pornography have also been found to increase the endorsemen
t of attitude statements that are supportive of sexual aggression. The
paper concludes with a discussion of ethical considerations, possible
psychological bases of the effects, and the question of censorship. I
t is concluded that although several types of materials may produce be
havioral orientation toward, and/or attitudinal support for, sexual ag
gression, this is a function of aggression and dominance themes rather
than the explicitness of the sexual cues. These themes extend beyond
explicit pornography, through extremely violent stimuli that lack expl
icit sexual elements, to widely consumed ''normal'' films and reading
matter.