Abstract

With the large role that music and the media plays in our society today it, is necessary to examine the effects that they have on certain harmful behaviors. The current study was based upon the Cultivation and Social Cognitive theories. The purpose of this study was to further examine the relationship between music and risky sexual behaviors. A total of 715 participants from the University of Central Florida answered multiple questionnaires via the SONA system. Questionnaires included topics such as music listening/viewing habits, sexual behaviors, dating behaviors, and demographics. The sample was comprised of primarily Caucasian young adults, with an average age of 20.71. The study hypothesized that music is influential because listeners begin to think that the behaviors depicted via music lyrics and videos are normal, thereby influencing the sexual behaviors of listeners. A series of linear regression analyses were conducted using SPSS to determine how musical preference and listening habits relate to the sexual behaviors of participants. Data was also analyzed using a series of repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVAs) to determine any significant differences in how participants viewed their sexual behaviors in comparison to their perceived sexual behaviors of peers and friends. Results of the repeated measures ANOVAs indicated that African American participants exhibited more of a cultivation effect of their sexual behaviors than Caucasian or Hispanic participants.

Notes

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Thesis Completion

2014

Semester

Spring

Advisor

Wright, Chrysalis

Degree

Bachelor of Science (B.S.)

College

College of Sciences

Department

Psychology

Subjects

Dissertations, Academic -- Sciences; Sciences -- Dissertations, Academic

Location

UCF South Lake

Format

PDF

Identifier

CFH0004559

Language

English

Access Status

Open Access

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Document Type

Honors in the Major Thesis

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Included in

Psychology Commons

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