114 A Network Approach to Hypersexuality: Insights and Clinical Implications

Abstract

In spite of a growing interest in research on hypersexuality, consensus about its etiology and best treatment strategy has not been achieved. This study furthers the empirical and clinical understanding of hypersexuality by exploring the structure of its symptoms using a novel network analytic approach. In 2014, an online survey advertised as focusing on Internet pornography, sexual health and relationships was carried out among Croatian men and women aged 18-60 years (Mage = 31.1, SD = 9.67). In a sample of 3,028 participants, we estimated and plotted regularized partial correlation networks by gender to explore the structure of hypersexuality. Network nodes represented hypersexuality symptoms and associated sexual behaviors (i.e., items from the Hypersexual Disorder Screening Inventory, the Hypersexual Behavioral Consequences Scale, as well as indicators of sexual desire, pornography use, sexual intercourse and masturbation frequency). Four research questions were addressed: (1) Does the hypersexuality network differ between genders; (2) which symptoms are centrally positioned; (3) what is the topological location of pornography use; and (4) are there distinct clusters (“communities”) of symptoms in the network?