Frequency Of Pornography Use Research Articles

Markers of Prenatal Androgen Exposure Correlate With Online Sexual Compulsivity and Erectile Function in Young Men.

Pornography addiction and sexual dysfunction are increasingly prevalent in young men. Previous studies suggest that prenatal androgen exposure plays a role in addiction and sexual functionality. Here, we tested whether lower second-to-fourth finger length ratio (2D:4D) and later age at spermarche, both putative indicators of higher androgen levels in utero, correlate with online sexual compulsivity (OSC scale of ISST), erectile function (IIEF-5), and ejaculatory control (PEPA) in 4,370 young men (age IQR: 25–26 years) of the Cohort Study on Substance Use Risk Factors. Statistical analyses revealed that lower 2D:4D correlated with higher scores on the OSC scale. Moreover, higher age at spermarche correlated with higher OSC scores and decreased erectile function. Interestingly, OSC severity, but not the frequency of pornography use, correlated negatively with erectile function and ejaculatory control. This is the first study to associate two independent proxies of prenatal testosterone level with OSC. These findings provide novel insight into intrauterine predisposition of sexual behavior and related sexual function in adulthood.

Ambivalent sexist attitudes of young adolescents from the province of Jaén: Regarding the use of sexual and/or pornographic content on the internet

Knowing the possible origin of sexist attitudes in adolescents is essential when educating them to avoid gender violence derived from them. Nurses have an important role in education for the health of children and adolescents, so we must study the risk factors that lead to these attitudes and how to prevent them. Some studies such as Landripet, et al. have undertaken to study the association between frequency of pornography use and preference for violent and coercive content in male adolescents. Sexism and pornography use have been associated by various authors. Hostile sexism is the most obvious and traditional form, based on the supposed inferiority or difference of women as a group. According to benevolent sexism, women are understood as deserving of affection, respect and protection, as long as they are limited to certain traditional feminine roles. The second is even more difficult to detect. Our aim in this work is to evaluate ambivalent sexist attitudes in young adolescents in the province of Jaén and check whether there is a relationship between use of pornography and sexual content, and the kinds of sexism studied, in order to be able to prevent these attitudes as nurses through health education. The final sample was made up of 150 participants from all school years, belonging to the same secondary school, 74 male and 76 female. They were aged between 12 and 18 years old. One of the conclusions of this work has been that the use of new technologies is in addition starting at even younger ages due to the situation of online teaching due to the pandemic, and it has been observed that age at first use is a determining factor.

Why do people watch pornography? The motivational basis of pornography use.

Although pornography viewing is widespread among Internet users, no scales for measuring pornography use motivations (PUM) have been developed and psychometrically tested for use in general populations. The present work aimed to construct a measure that could reliably assess a wide range of PUM in nonspecific populations. Self-report data of 3 separate samples (N₁ = 772 [51% women], N₂ = 792 [6% women], N₃ = 1,082 [50% women]) were collected and analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis, measurement invariance testing, and structural equation modeling (SEM). The most common PUM were identified based on a literature review and qualitative analysis (N₁): sexual pleasure, sexual curiosity, emotional distraction or suppression, stress reduction, fantasy, boredom avoidance, lack of sexual satisfaction, and self-exploration. Items were constructed, and confirmatory factor analyses (N₂ and N₃) yielded strong psychometric properties. Further corroborating the structural validity of the Pornography Use Motivations Scale (PUMS), gender-based measurement invariance was tested, and associations of the frequency of pornography use (FPU), problematic pornography use (PPU), and PUM were examined. Men-compared to women-demonstrated higher scores on all motivations except for sexual curiosity and self-exploration. Based on the results of SEM, we found that sexual pleasure, boredom avoidance, and stress reduction motivations showed positive, weak-to-moderate associations with FPU. Motivations relating to stress reduction, emotional distraction or suppression, boredom avoidance, fantasy, and sexual pleasure had positive, weak-to-moderate associations with PPU. The PUMS is a reliable scale to assess the most common PUM in general populations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

The negative consequences of hypersexuality: Revisiting the factor structure of the Hypersexual Behavior Consequences Scale and its correlates in a large, non-clinical sample

IntroductionDespite the growing literature about hypersexuality and its negative consequences, most studies have focused on the risk of sexually transmitted infections (STI’s), resulting in relatively few studies about the nature and the measurement of a broader spectrum of adverse consequences. MethodsThe aim of the present study was to examine the validity and reliability of the Hypersexual Behavior Consequence Scale (HBCS) in a large, non-clinical population (N = 16,935 participants; females = 5854, 34.6%; Mage = 33.6, SDage = 11.1) and identify its factor structure across genders. The dataset was divided into three independent samples, taking into consideration gender ratio. The validity of the HBCS was investigated in relation to sexuality-related questions (e.g., frequency of pornography use) and the Hypersexual Behavior Inventory (Sample 3). ResultsBoth the exploratory (Sample 1) and confirmatory (Sample 2) factor analyses (CFI = 0.954, TLI = 0.948, RMSEA = 0.061 [90% CI = 0.059–0.062]) suggested a first-order, four-factor structure that included work-related problems, personal problems, relationship problems, and risky behavior as a result of hypersexuality. The HBCS showed adequate reliability and demonstrated reasonable associations with the examined theoretically relevant correlates, corroborating the validity of the HBCS. ConclusionFindings suggest that the HBCS may be used to assess consequences of hypersexuality. It may also be used in clinical settings to assess the severity of hypersexuality and to map potential areas of impairment, and such information may help guide therapeutic interventions.

Frequency of use, moral incongruence and religiosity and their relationships with self-perceived addiction to pornography, internet use, social networking and online gaming.

Moral incongruence involves disapproval of a behavior in which people engage despite their moral beliefs. Although considerable research has been conducted on how moral incongruence relates to pornography use, potential roles for moral incongruence in other putative behavioral addictions have not been investigated. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of moral incongruence in self-perceived addiction to: (i) pornography; (ii) internet addiction; (iii) social networking; and (iv) online gaming. A cross-sectional, preregistered, online survey using multivariable regression. Online study conducted in Poland. 1036 Polish adults aged between 18 and 69years. Measures included self-perceived behavioral addiction to pornography, internet use, social networking and online gaming and their hypothesized determinants (moral incongruence, frequency of use, time of use, religiosity, age and gender). Higher moral incongruence (β=0.20, P< 0.001) and higher religiosity (β=0.08, P< 0.05) were independently associated with higher self-perceived addiction to pornography. Additionally, frequency of pornography use was the strongest of the analyzed predictors (β=0.43, P< 0.001). A similar, positive relationship between high moral incongruence and self-perceived addiction was also present for internet (β=0.16, P< 0.001), social networking (β=0.18, P< 0.001) and gaming addictions (β=0.16, P< 0.001). Religiosity was uniquely, although weakly, connected to pornography addiction, but not to other types of addictive behaviors. Moral incongruence may be positively associated with self-perception of behavioral addictions including not only pornography viewing, but also internet use, social networking and online gaming.

Are sexual functioning problems associated with frequent pornography use and/or problematic pornography use? Results from a large community survey including males and females

There is much debate regarding whether pornography use has positive or negative associations with sexuality-related measures such as sexual functioning problems. The present study aimed to examine differential correlates between quantity (frequency of pornography use–FPU) and severity (problematic pornography use–PPU) of pornography use with respect to sexual functioning problems among both males and females. Multi-group structural equation modeling was conducted to investigate hypothesized associations between PPU, FPU, and sexual functioning problems among males and females (N = 14,581 participants; females = 4,352; 29.8%; Mage=33.6 years, SDage=11.0), controlling for age, sexual orientation, relationship status, and masturbation frequency. The hypothesized model had excellent fit to the data (CFI = 0.962, TLI = 0.961, RMSEA = 0.057 [95% CI = 0.056-0.057]). Similar associations were identified in both genders, with all pathways being statistically significant (p < .001). PPU had positive, moderate associations (βmales=0.37, βfemales=0.38), while FPU had negative, weak associations with sexual functioning problems (βmales=-0.17, βfemales=-0.17). Although FPU and PPU had a positive, moderate association, they should be assessed and discussed separately when examining potential associations with sexuality-related outcomes. Given that PPU was positively and moderately and FPU negatively and weakly associated with problems in sexual functioning, it is important to consider both PPU and FPU in relation to sexual functioning problems.

A State-Level Analysis of Mortality and Google Searches for Pornography: Insight from Life History Theory.

Due to the widespread popularity of pornography, some studies explored which individual factors are associated with the frequency of pornography use. However, knowledge about the relationship between socioecological environment and pornography consumption remains scant. Based on life history theory, the current research investigated the association between state-level mortality and search interest for pornography using Google trends. We observed that, in the U.S., the higher mortality or violent crime rate in a state, the stronger search interest for pornography on Google. The results expand the literature regarding the relationship between socioecological environment and individuals' online sexual behavior at the state level.

Pornography Use and Sexual Coercion: Examining the Mediation Effect of Sexual Arousal.

The increased accessibility and use of pornography in Western society highlights the emergent need to understand the relationship between its use and sexual coercion. Decades of research have demonstrated a consistent relationship between pornography use and engaging in sexually aggressive behavior, although what drives this relationship remains largely unexplained. Researchers have recently presented potential explanations for these relationships, such as the use of violent pornography types, the development of aberrant sexual scripts, and the frequency of pornography use. This study seeks to contribute to the explanation by examining the potential mediating effects of sexual arousal on the relationship between pornography use frequency and willingness to engage in verbal and illegal sexual coercive behaviors by examining a sample of male and female college adults. This population reports some of the highest rates of pornography use. The sample of 745 college students were exposed to either an exotic video presentation or a criminal justice lecture, and provided a dating scenario and sexual arousal assessments. Results indicated those young adults that consume pornography more frequently were more likely to experience higher levels of sexual arousal to the erotic video than those who reported little or no use. However, after controlling for several variables significantly related to sexual coercion, arousal did not mediate willingness to engage in verbal or illegal sexual coercive behaviors. Other significant results and implications are discussed.

Effects of Pornography Use and Demographic Parameters on Sexual Response during Masturbation and Partnered Sex in Women.

The effect of pornography on sexual response is understudied, particularly among women. A multinational, community-based sample of 2433 women at least 18 years of age completed a 42-item, opt-in questionnaire collecting information on demographic and sexual history characteristics, use of pornography during masturbation, frequency of pornography use, and sexual response parameters. Pornography use and average frequency were compared across demographic variables. We also examined how pornography frequency predicted differences in self-reported arousal difficulty; orgasmic difficulty, latency, and pleasure; and the percent of sexual activities ending in orgasm during both masturbation and partnered sex. On average, women using pornography were younger, and reported more interest in sex. Pornography frequency differed significantly by menopausal status, sexual orientation, anxiety/depression status, number of sexual partners, and origin of data collection. During masturbation, more frequent pornography use predicted lower arousal difficulty and orgasmic difficulty, greater pleasure, and a higher percentage of masturbatory events leading to orgasm. Frequency of pornography use predicted only lower arousal difficulty and longer orgasmic latencies during partnered sex, having no effect on the other outcome variables. Pornography use frequency did not predict overall relationship satisfaction or sexual relationship satisfaction. Overall, more frequent pornography use was generally associated with more favorable sexual response outcomes during masturbation, while not affecting most partnered sex parameters. Several demographic and relationship covariates appear to more consistently and strongly predict orgasmic problems during partnered sexual activity than pornography use.

A Large-Scale Comparison of Canadian Sexual/Gender Minority and Heterosexual, Cisgender Adolescents’ Pornography Use Characteristics

BackgroundThe ease of access to pornography has made its use common among adolescents. Although sexual and gender minority (SGM) (eg, gay, transgender) adolescents may be more prone to use pornography owing to sexual orientation–related information seeking and/or scarcity of potential romantic or sexual partners, relatively little attention has been paid to their pornography use and to the quantitative examination of the similarities and differences between heterosexual, cisgender (HC) and SGM adolescents’ pornography use characteristics. AimThe aim of the present study was to compare SGM and HC adolescents’ pornography use considering potential sex differences. MethodsWe used a sample of 2,846 adolescents (52.5% girls; Mage = 14.5 years, SD = 0.6), which was collected as part of an ongoing longitudinal study on adolescents’ sexual health. Data were analyzed with 5 groups: HC boys; HC girls; SGM boys; SGM girls; and SGM non-binary individuals. OutcomesAdolescents completed a self-report questionnaire about sexual and gender minority status and pornography use (ie, lifetime use, age at first exposure, and frequency of use in the past 3 months.) ResultsResults indicated significant differences between all groups: 88.2% of HC boys, 78.2% of SGM boys, 54.2% of SGM girls, 39.4% of HC girls, and 29.4% of SGM non-binary individuals reported having ever viewed pornography by the age of 14 years. SGM girls indicated a significantly younger age at first pornography use than HC girls, but this difference was not significant among boys. SGM boys reported the highest (median: many times per week), whereas HC girls reported the lowest (median: less than once a month) frequency of pornography use. Clinical TranslationResults suggest that SGM and HC boys' pornography use characteristics are rather similar, whereas SGM and HC girls’ pornography use patterns may be considered different presumably because of the varying underlying motivations (eg, using pornography to confirm sexual orientation). Strengths & LimitationsSelf-report measures and cross-sectional designs have potential biases that should be considered. However, the present study involved a large sample of adolescents including SGM adolescents, a population group that is understudied. ConclusionApproximately two-thirds of teenagers had gained their first experience with pornography in the present sample, and 52.2% reported using it once a week or more often in the past 3 months, indicating that pornography use may play an important role in both HC and SGM adolescents’ sexual development. Gender-based differences concerning pornography use seem to be robust regardless of SGM status.Bőthe B, Vaillancourt-Morel, MP, Girouard A, et al. A Large-Scale Comparison of Canadian Sexual/Gender Minority and Heterosexual, Cisgender Adolescents’ Pornography Use Characteristics. J Sex Med 2020;17:1156–1167.

Diverse Sexual Behaviors and Pornography Use: Findings From a Nationally Representative Probability Survey of Americans Aged 18 to 60 Years

BackgroundConvenience sample data indicate that substantial portions of adults have engaged in sexual behaviors sometimes described as rough; little is known about these behaviors at the population level. AimTo describe, in a U.S. probability sample of Americans aged 18 to 60 years, (i) the prevalence of diverse sexual behaviors, described here as dominant and target behaviors; (ii) the age at first pornography exposure as well as prevalence, range, and frequency of pornography use; (iii) the association between past year pornography use frequency and dominant/target sexual behaviors; and (iv) associations between lifetime range of pornography use and dominant/target sexual behaviors. MethodsA confidential cross-sectional online survey was used in this study. OutcomesLifetime engagement in dominant behaviors (eg, spanking, choking, name calling, performing aggressive fellatio, facial ejaculation, penile-anal penetration without first asking/discussing) and lifetime engagement in target behaviors (eg, being spanked, being choked, being called names during sex, having their face ejaculated on, receiving aggressive fellatio, or receiving penile-anal penetration without having discussed) were assessed; lifetime pornography use, age at first porn exposure, past-year frequency of porn viewing, and lifetime range of pornography were also assessed. ResultsWomen as well as men who have sex with men were more likely to report target sexual behaviors: having been choked (21.4% women), having one's face ejaculated on (32.3% women, 52.7% men who have sex with men), and aggressive fellatio (34.0% women). Lifetime pornography use was reported by most respondents. After adjusting for age, age at first porn exposure, and current relationship status, the associations between pornography use and sexual behaviors was statistically significant. Clinical ImplicationsClinicians need to be aware of recent potential shifts in sexual behaviors, particularly those such as choking that may lead to harm. Strengths & LimitationsStrengths include U.S. probability sampling to provide population level estimates and the use of Internet-based data collection on sensitive topics. We were limited by a lack of detail and context related to understanding the diverse sexual behaviors assessed. ConclusionClinicians, educators, and researchers have unique and important roles to play in continued understanding of these sexual behaviors in the contemporary United States.Herbenick D, Fu T-C, Wright P, et al. Diverse Sexual Behaviors and Pornography Use: Findings From a Nationally Representative Probability Survey of Americans Aged 14 to 60 Years. J Sex Med 2020;17:623–633.

Are adolescents who consume pornography different from those who engaged in online sexual activities?

Research has indicated several differences between those who solely engaged in online pornography use and those who mainly engaged in partnered sexual activities. We examined whether the distinction between solo and partnered sexual activities might be extrapolated to the virtual arena, while studying the psychological differences between adolescents who engaged in each activity. Israeli adolescents (N = 2112; 788 boys and 1,324 girls), age 14–18 (M = 16.52, SD = 1.63), participated in an online study. Each participant completed a randomly ordered battery of self-report questionnaires on frequency of pornography use, sexually related online activities, personality traits, narcissism, emotion regulation strategies, social intimacy and socio-demographic factors. Adolescents who consumed pornography (i.e., solo online activity) are mostly boys, introvert, neurotic, less agreeable, and with less conscientious judgement. In addition, they are more overt narcissist, use more suppression and less reappraisal to regulate emotions, and are low on social intimacy. Adolescents who engaged in online partnered sexual activities are mostly girls, extrovert, open to experience, neurotic, less agreeable, and with less conscientious judgement. In addition, they are more narcissist and high on social intimacy. We discuss the distinctiveness of the differences and their place in the virtual era.

High-Frequency Pornography Use May Not Always Be Problematic

BackgroundPreviously, variable-centered analytic approaches showed positive, weak-to-moderate associations between frequency of pornography use (FPU) and problematic pornography use (PPU). However, person-centered studies are sparse in the literature, and these could provide insight into whether there are individuals who use pornography frequently and do not experience problems or whether there are individuals with comparable high-frequency use who differ on reported experiencing of negative consequences. AimThe aims of the present study were (i) to identify profiles of pornography use based on FPU and PPU by applying a person-centered analytic approach and (ii) to examine whether the identified profiles could be distinguished based on theoretically relevant demographic and psychological constructs. MethodsLatent profile analyses were conducted on 3 nonclinical samples recruited from general websites and a pornography site (study 1: N = 14,006; study 2: N = 483; study 3: N = 672). ResultsResults were consistent across all studies. 3 distinct pornography-use profiles emerged: nonproblematic low-frequency pornography use (68–73% of individuals), nonproblematic high-frequency pornography use (19–29% of individuals), and problematic high-frequency use (3–8% of individuals). Nonproblematic and problematic high-frequency-use groups showed differences in several constructs (ie, hypersexuality, depressive symptoms, boredom susceptibility, self-esteem, uncomfortable feelings regarding pornography, and basic psychological needs). Clinical TranslationFPU should not be considered as a sufficient or reliable indicator of PPU because the number of people with nonproblematic high-frequency use was 3–6 times higher than that with problematic high-frequency use. These results suggest that individuals with PPU use pornography frequently; however, FPU may not always be problematic. Strengths & LimitationsSelf-report cross-sectional methods have possible biases that should be considered when interpreting findings (eg, underreporting or overreporting). However, the present research included 3 studies and involved large community samples and visitors of a pornography website. The present study is the first that empirically investigated pornography-use profiles with a wide range of correlates using both severity of PPU and FPU as profile indicators on specific and general samples. ConclusionThe present study is a first step in the differentiated examination of pornography-use profiles, taking into consideration both PPU and FPU, and it provides a foundation for further clinical and large-scale studies. Different psychological mechanisms may underlie the development and maintenance of FPU with or without PPU, suggesting different treatment approaches. Therefore, the present results may guide clinical work when considering reasons for seeking treatment for PPU.Bőthe B, Tóth-Király I, Potenza MN, et al. High-Frequency Pornography Use May Not Always Be Problematic. J Sex Med 2020;17:793–811.

Adapting Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Treating Problematic Interactive Media Use.

Over the past decade, clinicians have observed an increase in adolescents overusing interactive media, resulting in detrimental consequences such as disrupted sleep, inattention to academic tasks, and deterioration of social relationships. The recognition of problematic interactive media use (PIMU), the excessive and dysregulated use of interactive electronic media that affects mental and physical health, resulting in difficulty meeting developmentally appropriate functional capacity, has led to a call for therapeutic interventions. To date, there has been limited research on treatments for adolescents with PIMU. This article documents the therapeutic benefit of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) adapted to treat PIMU and applied to a 15-year-old male individual with a history of dysregulated use of the Internet in the categories of gaming, pornography, information-bingeing, and social media. Outcomes were measured by diary cards, documenting the patient's affective states, urges to engage in PIMU, the number of times he acted upon these urges, and collateral information provided by both parents and teachers from his school. Over the course of a 7-module DBT intervention covered during 14 sessions, the patient showed improvement in his targeted self-regulation behaviors of reducing nighttime screen use and decreasing frequency of pornography use. The patient showed academic improvement, as he was able to complete homework more effectively without being distracted by devices. We concluded that the application of this adapted DBT is potentially helpful in treating adolescents' excessive and dysregulated use of interactive media and electronic devices, and that this treatment approach deserves further study.

Evaluating Pornography Problems Due to Moral Incongruence Model

IntroductionTo date, multiple models of problematic pornography use have been proposed, but attempts to validate them have been scarce. AimIn our study, we aimed to evaluate the Pornography Problems due to Moral Incongruence model proposing that self-appraisals of pornography addiction stem from (i) general dysregulation, (ii) habits of use, and (iii) moral incongruence between internalized norms and behavior. We investigated whether the model can be used to adequately explain the self-perceptions of addiction to pornography (model 1) and a broader phenomenon of problematic pornography use (model 2). MethodsAn online, nationally representative study was conducted on a sample of 1036 Polish adult participants, of whom, 880 declared a lifetime history of viewing pornography. Main Outcome MeasureThe outcomes were self-perceived pornography addiction, problematic pornography use, avoidant coping, frequency of pornography use, religiosity, moral disapproval of pornography, and related variables. ResultsOur results indicated that avoidant coping (an indicator of general dysregulation), frequency of pornography use (indicator of habits of use), and the distress connected with incongruence between own sexual behavior and internalized norms, attitudes and beliefs positively contributed to self-perceived addiction (model 1) as well as problematic pornography use (model 2). This broadly confirms the basic shape of the PPMI model. There were, however, notable differences between the models. Moral incongruence related distress was only weakly related to self-perceived addiction (β = 0.15, P < .001), with a stronger relation for problematic pornography use (β = 0.31, P < .001). When controlling for other factors, religiosity weakly predicted problematic pornography use (β = 0.13, P < .001), but not self-perceived addiction to pornography (β = 0.03, P = .368). Frequency of pornography use was the strongest predictor of both self-perceived addiction (β = 0.52, P < .001) and problematic pornography use (β = 0.43, P < .001). Clinical ImplicationsFactors proposed within the PPMI model are distinctly relevant intervention targets, and they should be considered in the process of diagnosis and treatment. Strengths & LimitationsThe presented study is the first to evaluate PPMI model. Its main limitation is that it has a cross-sectional design. ConclusionThe PPMI model is a promising framework for investigating the factors related to self-perceived addiction and problematic pornography use. Despite the differences between the models and in the strength of specific predictors, (i) dysregulation, (ii) habits of use, and (iii) moral incongruence all uniquely contribute to self-perceived addiction and problematic pornography use.Lewczuk, K., Glica, A., Nowakowska, I., et al. Evaluating Pornography Problems Due to Moral Incongruence Model. J Sex Med 2020;17:300–311.

Adolescent sexual aggressiveness and pornography use: A longitudinal assessment

The rising prevalence of (online) pornography use among, mostly male, adolescents revived social concerns regarding possible effects of pornography use on sexual aggressiveness. Given the paucity of longitudinal explorations of this link, this study focused on the following two research questions: (Q1) Is pornography use during middle to late adolescence related to male adolescents' self-reported sexual aggressiveness; and (Q2) can personality traits and characteristics that have been associated with sexual aggression account for this presumed link? Using data from a six-wave panel sample of 594 male Croatian high-school sophomore students (Mage at baseline = 15.8 years, SD = 0.52), latent class and latent growth curve modeling were employed to answer these questions. There was a significant baseline difference in the frequency of pornography use between participants who reported no or marginal levels of sexual aggressiveness during the period under observation (20 months) and their peers who reported substantial sexual aggressiveness, with the former reporting significantly lower initial levels of pornography use compared to the latter. Controlling for personality characteristics did not cancel this association. In addition, bullying and reported peer pressure significantly predicted initial levels of pornography use, but not its subsequent change. With the controls omitted from the analysis, a slight average increase in pornography use was observed among adolescents who reported no or lowest levels of sexual aggressiveness. In contrast, pornography use decreased somewhat among their peers who reported moderate sexual aggressiveness. Insights from this study can contribute to school-based sexual violence prevention programs, as well as inform recently proposed pornography literacy programs which aim to assist adolescents in navigating the increasingly sexually explicit online environment.

What Is the Relationship Among Religiosity, Self-Perceived Problematic Pornography Use, and Depression Over Time?

Previous studies suggest that religious people are more likely than nonreligious people to perceive their pornography use as problematic. For our 6-month longitudinal study, we recruited a sample of adults from TurkPrime.com to examine whether the interaction of religiosity and pornography consumption prospectively predicts more depressive symptoms 6 months later and whether this effect was mediated via perceptions that their pornography use was problematic (measured 3 months postbaseline). We constructed and validated our own measure of self-perceived problematic pornography use that included two factors: excessive pornography use and compulsive pornography use. Contrary to our hypothesis, religiosity was not related to self-perceived problematic pornography use. For men, religiosity at baseline was associated with increased pornography use at 6 months. For both men and women, excessive pornography use at 3 months was associated with increased depression at 6 months. For men, depression at baseline was associated with self-perceived problematic pornography use at 3 months. For women, higher self-perceived problematic pornography use at 3 months predicted lower frequency of pornography use and higher depression at 6 months. Our findings are discussed in light of theories of depression, religious incongruence, and sexual scripts.

Testing the content progression thesis: A longitudinal assessment of pornography use and preference for coercive and violent content among male adolescents

Content progression thesis (CPT), a direct application of conditioning theories to conceptualizing exposure to pornography, proposes that pornography use leads to viewing increasingly more extreme material due to the effect of satiation. To test this assumption, association between the frequency of pornography use and the preference for violent and coercive content were examined over a 24-month period using an online panel sample of male adolescents. Participants were 248 high school students who took part in at least three of five waves of the PROBIOPS study. The average baseline age was 16.1. Dual-domain latent growth curve modeling was used to test the CPT. The preference for violent/coercive pornography was found to decrease over time. Moreover, its dynamics was unrelated to latent growth in pornography use. In this first longitudinal assessment, the CPT was not found to be a useful model for understanding the patterns and potential consequences of adolescent pornography use.

Understanding and predicting profiles of compulsive sexual behavior among adolescents.

Background and aimsThis two-study research was designed to define and predict profiles of compulsive sexual behavior (CSB) among non-clinical population of adolescents, and aimed to fill gaps in the current research.MethodsIn Study 1 (N = 1,182), we examined the profiles of CSB among adolescents using latent profile analysis. Results revealed the following three clusters: abstainers, sexual fantasizers, and individuals with CSB. In Study 2 (N = 618), we replicated this classification and examined differences between the clusters in Big Five personality traits, locus of control, attachment orientations, loneliness, age, gender, socioeconomic status (SES), residence quality, use of pornography, and sex-related online activities.ResultsAdolescents classified into different clusters significantly differed in personality traits, loneliness, age, SES, use of pornography, and sex-related online activities. Specifically, individuals with CSB had external locus of control, anxious attachment, greater loneliness, higher frequency of pornography use, and more sex-related online activities than the other groups.DiscussionThe current research expands the knowledge about CSB by providing a more individualized approach to understanding CSB among adolescence.

The Use of Online Pornography as Compensation for Loneliness and Lack of Social Ties Among Israeli Adolescents.

The Internet provides people with the ability to act anonymously, which may lead them to feel secure and to release them from many of their inhibitions. In many cases, this leads them to participate in cybersex activities and online pornography. This study examined the psychological factors behind young people’s sexual behavior online. Participants comprised 713 Israeli adolescents (383 boys and 330 girls) aged 14 to 18 years. Our results indicated that the impact of loneliness on online sexual activity and frequency of pornography use was dependent on participants’ attachment orientations. Engagement in online sexual activities and use of pornography were high among anxiously attached individuals regardless of the extent of their loneliness. Loneliness was found to increase the use of online sexual activities and pornography, only among secure and anxiously avoidant individuals. Online sexual activity and pornography were also found to be related to offline sexual activity. The results are described and discussed.