Perceptions of Prostitution: What Drives Opposition?

The current studies intended to understand opposition to prostitution among a sample of U.S. Americans using a mixed-methods approach. In Study 1, we examined beliefs about prostitution using an open-ended approach without relying on researcher-conceived perceptions. In Study 2, we examined whether opposition to prostitution stems primarily from the presumed negative confounding factors (identified in Study 1) and explored reasons for remaining opposition. In Study 1, 116 U.S. adults recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) reported up to 10 beliefs about prostitution. Researchers coded responses and identified common themes, including desperation, STIs/disease, physical abuse, drugs/alcohol, trafficking, exploitation, cheating, enslavement, legal issues, and immorality. In Study 2, we used a within-subjects quantitative experimental design in which 153 U.S. adults recruited from MTurk read 2 prostitution scenarios—1 including the presumed co-occurring negative contextual factors and 1 neutralizing those factors—and rated their opposition and provided reasoning for such opposition. Neutralizing the negative confounding factors decreased opposition to prostitution (from 95% to 19%; OR = 10.65; d = 1.76; ps < .001). Residual opposition to prostitution in the neutralized condition stemmed from lingering beliefs about harm and “immorality.” These studies extend the literature by identifying common perceptions of prostitution and evincing that the presumed confounding negative factors primarily drive opposition to prostitution. The discussion explores reasons underlying residual opposition in the neutralized condition.