So Maybe Sexy Media Doesn't Lead to Teen Sex?

A new study (summarized here) casts doubt on the popular notion that exposure to sex in the media is linked to earlier sexual activity. “There is a common problem in social science research called the third variable problem,” said Laurence Steinberg, one of the study’s authors. “When looking at the relation between a given behavior and given experience, it could look like there is a correlation, when in fact the relationship is dependent on something else entirely.” In order to address the “third variable problem,” Steinberg re-analyzed existing data, controlling for “adolescents’ propensity to be exposed to sexualized media.” In Steinberg’s more conservative analysis, the relationship between media exposure and early sexual activity disappeared. “There are many reasons to find the portrayal of sex in mass media objectionable,” says Steinberg. “But let’s not confuse matters of taste with matters of science.” (HT: Carl Beyer) [%comments]