Sexually violent themes have become increasingly prevalent in both pornographic and popular literature over the last several years. Exposure to violent pornography has been associated with a number of rape-related attitudes and behaviors. Alcohol consumption has been implicated in the commission of rape, but very little research has addressed the relationship between alcohol consumption and responses to sexually violent materials. The only two studies that have examined this connection indicate that expectancies associated with alcohol consumption are responsible for increased arousal to and interest in deviant sexual material. However, a systematic examination of the interaction between alcohol and differing levels of violence portrayed in these materials has yet to be undertaken. Furthermore, the impact of these materials on women has also been neglected. Social influence theory may provide a valuable framework to examine these relationships. Alcohol may serve as a cue, or discriminative stimulus, to engage a set of norms associated with sexual responding that would otherwise be considered unacceptable. To study this proposition, four experiments are proposed to examine the interrelationships among the pharmacological versus expectancy effects of alcohol consumption, normative perceptions, and responses to sexually violent material in both men and women. The contribution of individual difference traits will also be examined.
