Maternal Attachment and Television Viewing in Adolescents' Sexual Socialization: Differential Associations Across Gender

Abstract

The present study explores whether gender and maternal attachment moderate the relationship between television viewing and adolescents' sexual and gender stereotypical attitudes. A quantitative survey was conducted among 1,026 Belgian adolescents in a targeted sample of nine schools (Mean age=16.3). Findings show that greater exposure to television among boys and lower maternal attachment among boys and girls is associated with more liberal and stereotypical sexual attitudes. While maternal attachment has a buffering effect on the relationship between television viewing and sexual attitudes among girls, maternal attachment has a risk-increasing effect among boys. Further research is needed to explore more fully the emergence of gender differences in the influence of maternal attachment and television viewing on adolescents' sexual development. © 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.