Is consent sexy? Comparing evaluations of written erotica based on verbal sexual consent

ABSTRACT

Whether “consent is sexy’ is a topic that has been broadly debated, with some contending that asking for consent ‘ruins the mood’ and is, therefore, distinctly not sexy. In the current research, we investigated whether consent is sexy by comparing evaluations of written erotica based on whether the characters expressed explicit verbal consent. In Study 1, we compared brief excerpts of erotic fiction in which verbal sexual consent was either present or absent and determined that U.S. adults judged the stories similarly and, if anything, considered the excerpts with verbal consent sexier. In Study 2, we generated erotic stories that followed familiar, heterosexual scripts and compared evaluations of erotica with consent expressed explicitly and verbally to erotica with consent expressed implicitly through no resistance. Participants considered both versions equally as sexy, indicating that public concerns about consent ruining sexual dynamics are potentially unwarranted. We discuss the potential utility of sexual media in normalising sexual consent as an erotic aspect of sexual scripts.

KEYWORDS:

• Sexual consent
• erotica
• sexually explicit media
• affirmative consent
• sexual socialisation
• sexual scripts

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studies, University of Michigan [RRG REF-19481].

Notes on contributors

Jennifer L. Piemonte

Jennifer L. Piemonte is a candidate in the joint Psychology and Women's Studies Ph.D. program at the University of Michigan.

Staci Gusakova

Staci Gusakova is a candidate in the joint Psychology and Women's Studies Ph.D. program at the University of Michigan.

Marissa Nichols

Marissa Nichols is a student in the Master of Social Work Program at the University of Michigan.

Terri D. Conley

Terri D. Conley is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Michigan. She studies a) gender differences in sexuality, b) monogamy and c) nescience.