The Association Between Pornography Consumption and Perceived Realism in Adolescents: A Meta-analysis

Abstract

Pornography is more accessible than ever before, which raises questions concerning its influence on adolescent sexual behaviours. Recent research has identified perceived realism of pornography—the extent to which an individual perceives pornographic content as being congruent with reality—to be a potentially significant individual difference variable in this domain. However, the strength of this relationship remains uncertain. Focus is placed on this association for adolescents as sexual curiosity and maturing sexual scripts may be more readily influenced by pornography. The present study addressed this association through a meta-analysis. Database searches identified k = 5 studies (N = 3846) from various countries with relevant associations.The meta-analysis indicated a significant, moderate, and positive relationship between frequency of pornography consumption and perceived realism (r = .39) which was not moderated by the sex of participants. Given these findings, future research may assess behavioural and attitudinal changes associated with pornography use. Findings could also inform novel approaches to sexual education that prioritise recontextualising programs in the context of technology and explore the role of digital sexual socialisation of adolescents.