The Censorship of pornography: catharsis or learning?

Contemporary research on pornography reveals an impasse between the models of catharsis and learning. Preference for the latter by a recent government report is based on ideological rather than scientific considerations. The breakdown in the liberal tradition, current pornography research based on behaviorism, and two major theoretical problems are discussed. The interface among psychology, sociology, and literary criticism is suggested as a positive direction for understanding pornography; censorship, however, may obstruct research and fail to advance feminist goals.