Sex in primetime television: An analysis of content trends, context categories, and sampling considerations

Abstract

This study provides a replication and extension of previous content analyses of sex in primetime television, following a five‐year period of increased consumer activism directed through advertiser influence on programming content. It also addressed the issue of sample size in analyses designed to track such trends. Results indicated distinct differences from trends reported in previous studies, with a substantial decrease in the quantity as well as changes in the quality of sexual behavior and references between the 1988–89 and 1993–94 television seasons. Although a minimum of one intact or constructed week of programming has been considered essential for such studies, comparative analyses of full and half‐sample data provided evidence that overall trends can be accurately mapped using a reasonably selected stratified subsample of a constructed week of programming.