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Sex Doesn’t Sell After All, Study Says

A lingerie advertisement. — A lingerie advertisement.
Photographer: Robyn Beck/AFP via Getty Images

Laura Colby

August 18, 2015, 6:46 PM UTCUpdated onAugust 18, 2015, 7:54 PM UTC

Maybe sex doesn’t sell after all.

Commercials that feature sex and violence -- or appear on programs with that kind of content -- are less effective than those with neutral themes, according to a study published by the academic journal Psychological Bulletin.