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Online sexual activities: An exploratory study of problematic and non-problematic usage patterns in a sample of men
... Previous studies have found that the type of sexual activity as well as the search for online information varies according to gender and other socio-demographic variables (Albright, 2008;Anisimowicz & O´Sullivan, 2017;Wéry & Billieux, 2016). Thus, men indicate using it to access more erotic or pornographic content (Shaughnessy et al., 2013), while women use more chatrooms to meet people (Albright, 2008;Daneback et al., 2013). ...
... Among the sexual activities practiced, almost half of the participants indicated having had sex through chatrooms, a figure higher than that indicated in the study by Wéry and Billieux (2016). Along the same lines, more than half of the participants indicated that they use the Internet to flirt, which is a larger figure than those seen in other studies (Richters et al., 2014;Wéry & Billieux, 2016). ...
... Among the sexual activities practiced, almost half of the participants indicated having had sex through chatrooms, a figure higher than that indicated in the study by Wéry and Billieux (2016). Along the same lines, more than half of the participants indicated that they use the Internet to flirt, which is a larger figure than those seen in other studies (Richters et al., 2014;Wéry & Billieux, 2016). In the study conducted by Zhen et al. (2017), it was observed that the increase in smartphone use is associated with having sexual relations or flirting, coinciding with the data obtained in this study. ...
Este estudio explora las actividades sexuales a través de internet y analiza la relación entre estas actividades y la satisfacción sexual. Un total de 236 estudiantes universitarios completaron self-reported scales. Los resultados indicaron que las actividades sexuales online más realizadas fue la búsqueda de temas sexuales, ligar a través de chats y consultar videos eróticos o pornográficos. Con respecto a la relación entre las actividades sexuales online y la satisfacción sexual, se encontró que los participantes que manifestaron no buscar información sexual así como no utilizar chats para conversaciones sexuales, obtuvieron una mayor puntuación en satisfacción sexual. En conclusión, aunque la realización de actividades a través de internet con fines sexuales tiene una alta prevalencia, no queda acreditada de manera suficiente su influencia en la obtención de una mayor satisfacción sexual.
This study explores online sexual activities and analyzes the relationship between these activities and sexual satisfaction. A total of 236 university students completed self-reported scales. The results indicated that the most frequent online sexual activities were: searching for sexual issues, flirting via chat rooms and viewing erotic or pornographic videos. With regards to the relationship between online sexual activities and sexual satisfaction, it was found that participants who reported not seeking sexual information as well as not using chatrooms for sexual conversations, obtained a higher score in sexual satisfaction. In conclusion, although engaging in activities online for sexual purposes has a high prevalence, its influence on obtaining greater sexual satisfaction is not sufficiently proven.
... The motivations unpinning addictive behaviors have been intricately linked to the development of both behavioral and substance addictions [53][54][55]. Griffiths stated that the "motivations of people participating OSAs may further increase our understanding of Internet sex addiction" [56], and there is a growing body of research investigating the motives that fuel problematic and nonproblematic engagement in OSAs [38,48,57,58]. Several studies that have focused on this issue found that participants with higher levels of problematic use tend to have stress reduction and mood regulation motivators for their activities more frequently than participants with less problematic involvement in OSAs [38,46,48,58]. ...
... Griffiths stated that the "motivations of people participating OSAs may further increase our understanding of Internet sex addiction" [56], and there is a growing body of research investigating the motives that fuel problematic and nonproblematic engagement in OSAs [38,48,57,58]. Several studies that have focused on this issue found that participants with higher levels of problematic use tend to have stress reduction and mood regulation motivators for their activities more frequently than participants with less problematic involvement in OSAs [38,46,48,58]. Previous studies found that participants with more problematic OSAs were more likely to be motivated by sexual pleasure [39,48]. ...
... Since both of these motivations have been associated with problematic use, we investigated whether the main motivation associated with PPU had changed at different time periods during the pandemic. In addition, although previous studies found that solitary and partnered OSAs frequently coexist and both can be associated with PPU [38,39], it was still unknown whether there were different motivations behind the varied types of OSAs. Conducting a study that clarified the complexity of these associations between different motives and types of OSAs could thus provide more insight into problematic use. ...
Many researchers have considered whether online sexual activities (OSAs) increased over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic and whether these have led to an increase in problematic pornography use (PPU). This study investigated the impact of COVID-19 on PPU through pornography use motivations (PUMs) and OSAs to develop a better understanding of the mechanism and changes affecting PPU. Two groups of Chinese adults were recruited during the initial months of the pandemic (April 2020, n1 = 496) and the post-pandemic period (October 2021, n2 = 504). A network analysis was conducted to compare the structures of PPU symptoms among the two groups. The results showed that PUMs and OSAs were stronger predictors of PPU during the pandemic than post-pandemic (R2pandemic = 57.6% vs. R2post-pandemic = 28.7%). The motives of fantasy, sexual pleasure, stress reduction, and self-exploration were the prominent motivations during these two periods, but we found distinct PPU-related communities. PPU, sexual pleasure, and viewing sexually explicit materials (a type of OSAs) constituted a community during the pandemic but not in the post-pandemic’s network. The present study indicated that the pandemic may not have been the only factor impacting the higher rate of PPU. Instead, the higher frequency of OSAs during the pandemic may have been a strategy to cope with stress and to safely satisfy sexual desire.
... The above hypothesis has purportedly been supported by circumstantial evidence that notes an increasing prevalence of ED among younger men that is correlated with increasing pornography use, both in society at large and within specific study samples [28,29]. Furthermore, several case studies have drawn attention to the fact that some treatmentseeking men who are frequent pornography users have indeed experienced difficulty with sexual performance within the context of their dyadic relationships [25,26]. ...
... Such studies, however, have typically been fraught with methodological issues, including ones related to small sample sizes or to simple bivariate correlational analyses that do not concomitantly control for possible confounding variables [26][27][28][29][30][31]. In fact, a number of other studies have suggested no role-or even an opposite and beneficial role-for pornography use on sexual arousal and erectile response [32][33][34]. ...
... Within this subgroup, men's inability to get or sustain an erection undoubtedly interferes with their capacity to reach ejaculation-a point that underscores the importance of the clinician's differentiation of DE caused by erectile insufficiency vs. DE caused by insufficient psycho-sexual arousal and/or other etiological factors [39,44]. Indeed, our study, while demonstrating a very limited association between pornography use and DE symptomology in men with pure DE, did not rule out a possible relationship between pornography use and impaired erectile functioning, as suggested by several studies [27][28][29][30]. ...
The role of masturbation frequency and pornography use on sexual response during partnered sex has been controversial, the result of mixed and inconsistent findings. However, studies investigating this relationship have often suffered from methodological shortcomings. We investigated the role of masturbation frequency and pornography use on both the occurrence and severity of delayed/inhibited ejaculation (DE), an increasingly common sexual problem among men. We did so in a large (nonclinical) multinational sample of cisgender men (N = 2332; mean age = 40.3, SE = 0.31) within a multivariate context that relied on multiple (and, when possible, standardized) assessments of sexual dysfunctions while controlling for possible confounding variables. Results indicated a weak, inconsistent, and sometimes absent association between the frequency of pornography use and DE symptomology and/or severity. In contrast, both poorer erectile functioning and anxiety/depression represented consistent and strong predictors of DE and, to a lesser extent, DE severity. Other factors, including relationship satisfaction, sexual interest, and masturbation frequency, were significantly though moderately to weakly associated with DE. In conclusion, associations (or sometimes lack thereof) between masturbation frequency, pornography use, and delayed ejaculation are more clearly understood when analyzed in a multivariate context that controls for possible confounding effects.
... The COVID-19 pandemic and associated social distancing and national lockdown measures have led to adolescents' elevated levels of stress and negative emotions (Duan et al., 2020;Ellis et al., 2020;Fegert et al., 2020;Racine et al., 2020;Wang et al., 2020;World Health Organization, 2020). Previous studies showed that using pornography to cope with distressing emotions (e.g., emotional avoidance) was associated with higher levels of PPU (Bőthe et al., 2021a(Bőthe et al., , 2021cWéry & Billieux, 2016). Thus, adolescents might use pornography more frequently to cope with their COVID-19-related negative feelings, which might also be associated with higher levels of PPU (Bőthe et al., 2021a;Wéry & Billieux, 2016). ...
... Previous studies showed that using pornography to cope with distressing emotions (e.g., emotional avoidance) was associated with higher levels of PPU (Bőthe et al., 2021a(Bőthe et al., , 2021cWéry & Billieux, 2016). Thus, adolescents might use pornography more frequently to cope with their COVID-19-related negative feelings, which might also be associated with higher levels of PPU (Bőthe et al., 2021a;Wéry & Billieux, 2016). Thus, the aim of the present study was to examine the potential role of the COVID-19 pandemic in adolescents' pornography use. ...
... Several motivations may underlie one's pornography use (Bőthe et al., 2019(Bőthe et al., , 2021a(Bőthe et al., , 2021cReid et al., 2011;Romito & Beltramini, 2011;Ševčíková & Daneback, 2014;Wéry & Billieux, 2016), including sexual pleasure (i.e., to increase sexual arousal or help masturbation), sexual curiosity (i.e., to seek information and learn about sexuality), emotional distraction and suppression (i.e., to cope with negative emotions), stress reduction (i.e., to reduce stress), boredom avoidance (i.e., to reduce boredom), fantasy (i.e., to escape from the real world and fantasize about being part of pornography), lack of sexual satisfaction (i.e., as a result of not being satisfied with or missing something from one's sexual life), and self-exploration (i.e., to identify one's sexual needs and preferences). Although sexual pleasure is the most common motivation for pornography use in adults and adolescents as well (Bőthe et al., 2019;Grubbs et al., 2019a, b, c), pornography is also often used to alleviate boredom or cope with negative emotions or stress (Bőthe et al., 2019(Bőthe et al., , 2021aGrubbs et al., 2019a, b, c;Reid et al., 2011;Wéry & Billieux, 2016). ...
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, an increase in pornography use has been reported based on cross-sectional findings , raising concerns about associated adverse outcomes, such as problematic pornography use (PPU). The aims of the present study were to document potential changes in adolescents' pornography use frequency, motivations, and PPU before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of an ongoing study on adolescents' sexual health, we used a large sample (N Time 1 = 1771; 47.6% girls, M age = 15.42 years, SD = 0.59) to examine changes from baseline (before the COVID-19 pandemic) to one year later (during the COVID-19 pandemic) in adolescents' self-reported pornography use frequency, motivations, and PPU, using latent change models and examining potential gender differences. No significant changes were observed in adolescents' pornography use frequency and pornography use motivations, and no gender differences were present in these trends. Although statistically significant, slight decrease was observed in boys' PPU levels, and a statistically significant, slight increase was observed in girls' PPU levels, these changes were very small, providing no practical or clinical relevance. In sum, despite previous propositions, concerns, and cross-sectional findings, longitudinal results suggest that adolescents' pornography use characteristics were rather stable between November 2019 and June 2021, and the COVID-19 pandemic and related lockdowns might not have led to general increases in adolescents' pornography use as it was expected.
... Opisywani przez ekspertów w dziedzinie psychiatrii i urologii pacjenci skarżyli się na pogorszenie funkcjonowania seksualnego na skutek problematycznego korzystania z pornografii internetowej (Doidge, 2007;Fish, 2014 Bancroft, 2007;Maddox, Rhoades i Markman, 2011;Morgan, 2011;Stewart i Szymanski, 2012;Sun, Bridges, Johnason i Ezzell, 2014;Sun, Miezan, Lee i Shim, 2015;Voon i in., 2014;Zillmann i Bryant, 1988). Pomimo, iż trudności w osiągnięciu orgazmu, spadek libido czy zaburzenie erekcji są najczęściej opisywanymi problemami (Carvalheira i in., 2015;Janssen i Bancroft, 2007;Pizzol i in., 2015;Sutton i in., 2015;Voon i in., 2014;Wéry i Billieux, 2016;Zillmann i Bryant, 1988), nie brakuje doniesień o negatywnym związku pomiędzy konsumpcją pornografii a przyjemnością z intymności seksualnej (Poulsen, Busby i Galovan, 2013;Stewart i Szymanski, 2012;Sun i in., 2014), satysfakcją w związku oraz w sytuacjach intymnych (Bridges i Morokoff, 2011;Doran i Price, 2014;Maddox i in., 2011;Morgan, 2011;Perry, 2017;Poulsen i in., 2013;Wéry i Billieux, 2016;Zillmann i Bryant, 1988), a także o preferowaniu korzystania z pornografii internetowej w celu osiągnięcia i utrzymania pobudzenia seksualnego na niekorzyść seksu partnerskiego (Sun i in., 2015). Morgan, 2011;Levin, 2012;Luster, 2013;Peter i Valkenburg, 2006;Samuel, 2008;Tomikawa, 2011;Viegas, 2007;Wilson, 2014;Voon i in., 2014;Yoder i in., 2005;Zillmann i Bryant, 1988). ...
... Opisywani przez ekspertów w dziedzinie psychiatrii i urologii pacjenci skarżyli się na pogorszenie funkcjonowania seksualnego na skutek problematycznego korzystania z pornografii internetowej (Doidge, 2007;Fish, 2014 Bancroft, 2007;Maddox, Rhoades i Markman, 2011;Morgan, 2011;Stewart i Szymanski, 2012;Sun, Bridges, Johnason i Ezzell, 2014;Sun, Miezan, Lee i Shim, 2015;Voon i in., 2014;Zillmann i Bryant, 1988). Pomimo, iż trudności w osiągnięciu orgazmu, spadek libido czy zaburzenie erekcji są najczęściej opisywanymi problemami (Carvalheira i in., 2015;Janssen i Bancroft, 2007;Pizzol i in., 2015;Sutton i in., 2015;Voon i in., 2014;Wéry i Billieux, 2016;Zillmann i Bryant, 1988), nie brakuje doniesień o negatywnym związku pomiędzy konsumpcją pornografii a przyjemnością z intymności seksualnej (Poulsen, Busby i Galovan, 2013;Stewart i Szymanski, 2012;Sun i in., 2014), satysfakcją w związku oraz w sytuacjach intymnych (Bridges i Morokoff, 2011;Doran i Price, 2014;Maddox i in., 2011;Morgan, 2011;Perry, 2017;Poulsen i in., 2013;Wéry i Billieux, 2016;Zillmann i Bryant, 1988), a także o preferowaniu korzystania z pornografii internetowej w celu osiągnięcia i utrzymania pobudzenia seksualnego na niekorzyść seksu partnerskiego (Sun i in., 2015). Morgan, 2011;Levin, 2012;Luster, 2013;Peter i Valkenburg, 2006;Samuel, 2008;Tomikawa, 2011;Viegas, 2007;Wilson, 2014;Voon i in., 2014;Yoder i in., 2005;Zillmann i Bryant, 1988). ...
... Wśród aktywności seksualnych, które nasiliły się w okresie korzystania z pornografii zauważalna była eskalacja w stronę treści bardziej ekstremalnych, a w kontekście zwiększenia tolerancji -oglądania materiałów, które wcześniej były odpychające, początkowo nieinteresujące, a także niezwiązane z preferencjami seksualnymi użytkowników (Rysunek 15). Biorąc po uwagę fakt, iż jedynie u 1% mężczyzn z analizowanej próby wystąpił wzrost częstotliwości podejmowanych stosunków seksualnych można wnioskować, że konsumpcja pornografii eskaluje w zakresie jej oglądania, ale wydaje się nie przekładać na inicjowanie zachowań seksualnych w realnym życiu.Powyższe rezultaty są w zgodzie z badaniami wskazującymi na występowanie u problematycznych użytkowników pornografii eskalacji (np.Blair, 2018;Bőthe i in., 2018;Bronner i Ben-Zion, 2014;Donevan i Mattebo, 2017;Hald i in., 2018; Palazzolo i Bettman, 2020; SeSeigfried-Spellar, 2016; Sevcikova, Blinka i Soukalova, 2017), oglądanie treści pierwotnie odpychających(Wéry i Billieux,, 2016), czy też materiałów niepasujących do orientacji seksualnej użytkowników(Dwulit i Rzymski, 2019).Objawy związane z odstawieniem pornografii Większość wyodrębnionych przeze mnie nieprzyjemnych objawów (14 na 16), wskazywało na pogorszenie funkcjonowania seksualnego i psychospołecznego w czasie odstawiania pornografii u mężczyzn z badanej próby. Najczęstszym symptomem, zgłoszonym przez jedną trzecią mężczyzn, była depresja i apatia. ...
... On peut le résumer par le model du « Triple A » : accessibilité (grande diversité de contenu, accessible 24h sur 24, n'importe où), abordable (gratuit ou prix accessibles), anonyme (sentiment d'être anonyme au travers l'usage d'un écran). [2] ...
... [3] [4] [1] Addiction cybersexuelle et facteurs de risque L'addiction cybersexuelle est souvent conceptualisée comme faisant partie des addictions comportementales et présente des caractéristiques similaires : -un investissement excessif ; -une perte de contrôle ; -un désir persistant ou un échec à la tentative d'arrêt, à la diminution ou au contrôle de l'utilisation; -des comportements sexuels utilisés comme stratégie de coping primaire; -un effet de tolérance ; -des symptômes de manque à l'arrêt (irritabilité, frustration,…) -des répercussions sociales, physiques et psychologiques négatives. [2] Différents facteurs de risque y sont associés. ...
... L'hypothèse est que les personnes rencontrant des difficultés sexuelles ont une moins bonne satisfaction sexuelle dans les rapports avec leur partenaire et ont plus de risque de se tourner vers des activités cybersexuelles afin de satisfaire leurs besoins. [2] Concernant le désir sexuel, l'étude de Ben Brahim F. montre que, s'agissant de la poursuite de l'addiction cybersexuelle, la recherche de désir sexuel ne constitue qu'un très faible élément motivant chez les hommes et n'est pas un élément motivant chez les femmes. Le modèle conceptuel est que l'addiction est maintenue par un passage de la recherche de plaisir et de récompense sexuelle à une recherche d'évitement et de soulagement des affects négatifs. ...
Overview of conceptual background of cybersex addiction and treatment approaches. Impact of Covid-19 on clinical practice is outlined.
... Esto deja en evidencia que los comportamientos que refuerzan repetidamente los circuitos de recompensa, motivación y memoria, configuran parte del mecanismo de las adicciones conductuales (Love, Laier, Brand, Hatch y Hajela, 2015). Dentro de la adicción al cibersexo el material consumido más estudiado es la pornografía (Wéry y Billieux, 2016). Ésta generaría patrones de adicción mediante activación de rutas dopaminérgicas mesolímbicas (Love et al., 2015), circuito que comienza en el área tegmental ventral y sus proyecciones al núcleo accumbens, estructura fuertemente relacionada con el placer, la búsqueda de re-compensa e impulsividad. ...
... Sin embargo, los niveles de consumo de riesgo y adictivo parecen ser altos al ser comparados con estudios que utilizaron el ISST realizados en otros países presentando cifras inferiores de consumo de riesgo, en torno al 8,6-13% y adictivo cercano al 1% (Ballester et al., 2016;Castro et al., 2018). En relación con el contenido de consumo, la pornografía resulta la categoría más consumida, resultados concordantes con estudios internacionales, que determinan que es el formato de cibersexo más investigado (Love et al., 2015;Wéry et al., 2016). ...
... Esto podría afectar a los resultados, ya que sujetos con patrón adictivo de consumo de este estudio obtienen la puntuación media más alta entre los grupos según consumo en el ítem mencionado, lo que podría limitar el hallazgo de diferencias significativas en el bienestar sexual general de los participantes. Se propone valorar en el constructo "adicción al cibersexo" una suma de variables diferentes a las utilizadas en la "adicción al internet", como la excitación o desinhibición sexual, relacionadas en mayor grado con características sexuales de los sujetos (Wéry et al., 2016). ...
El consumo de Cibersexo puede generar adicción en usuarios de internet, pudiendo estar relacionado con el funcionamiento ejecutivo y satisfacción sexual de estos. Se pretende analizar la relación entre consumo de cibersexo, control inhibitorio y satisfacción sexual en 120 hombres entre 20 y 29 años, mediante el Internet Sex Screening Test, la prueba de Stroop y un Cuestionario de Bienestar Sexual. Los resultados, indicaron un alto consumo de riesgo (20,8%) y adictivo (6,7%). Se obtuvo una relación positiva entre control inhibitorio y bienestar sexual (r ho= 2,94; p <,001) y una relación negativa entre bienestar sexual y consumo de cibersexo (r ho=-0,21; p <,019). No existió asociación entre patrones adictivos de consumo de cibersexo y control inhibitorio. Al comparar patrones de consumo de cibersexo, se aprecian diferencias significativas en el bienestar emocional (H=8,15; p <,043) presentando los consumidores recreativos mayor satisfacción. Los resultados permiten informar sobre tópicos poco estudiados en Chile, destacando el alto consumo de cibersexo y la ausencia de relación entre control inhibitorio y el consumo de cibersexo, al menos no en presencia de estímulos relacionados al cibersexo. Resumen Cibersexo; Adicción al sexo; Sexualidad; Función ejecutiva; Bienestar sexual. Palabras Clave
... Accordingly, the sexual stimuli of partnered sex would be unable to deliver sufficient sexual arousal to develop and/or maintain erection during sexual intercourse. This hypothesis has been supported by circumstantial evidence noting an increasing prevalence of ED among younger men that is correlated with increasing pornography use, both in society at large and within specific study samples [53,54]. Furthermore, several case studies have drawn attention to the fact that some treatment-seeking men who are frequent pornography users have indeed experienced erectile difficulty within their dyadic relationship [40,41]. ...
... Such studies, however, have typically been fraught with methodological issues, including ones related to small sample sizes, or to simple bivariate correlational analyses that do not concomitantly control for possible confounding variables, or even to the way in which men with ED have been defined. [40,41,[53][54][55][56]. In fact, a number of other studies have suggested no role-or even an opposite and beneficial role-for pornography use on sexual arousal and erectile response [46,57,58]. ...
Both masturbation frequency and pornography use during masturbation have been hypothesized to interfere with sexual response during partnered sex as well as overall relationship satisfaction. However, results from prior studies have been inconsistent and frequently based on case studies, clinical reports, and simple binary analyses. The current study investigated the relationships among masturbation frequency, pornography use, and erectile functioning and dysfunction in 3586 men (mean age = 40.8 yrs, SE = 0.22) within a multivariate context that assessed sexual dysfunctions using standardized instruments and that included other covariates known to affect erectile functioning. Results indicated that frequency of pornography use was unrelated to either erectile functioning or erectile dysfunction (ED) severity in samples that included ED men with and without various sexual comorbidities or in a subset of men 30 years or younger (p = 0.28–0.79). Masturbation frequency was also only weakly and inconsistently related to erectile functioning or ED severity in the multivariate analyses (p = 0.11–0.39). In contrast, variables long known to affect erectile response emerged as the most consistent and salient predictors of erectile functioning and/or ED severity, including age (p < 0.001), having anxiety/depression (p < 0.001 except for a subset of men ≤ 30 years), having a chronic medical condition known to affect erectile functioning (p < 0.001 except for a subset of men ≤ 30 years), low sexual interest (p < 0.001), and low relationship satisfaction (p ≤ 0.04). Regarding sexual and relationship satisfaction, poorer erectile functioning (p < 0.001), lower sexual interest (p < 0.001), anxiety/depression (p < 0.001), and higher frequency of masturbation (p < 0.001) were associated with lower sexual and lower overall relationship satisfaction. In contrast, frequency of pornography use did not predict either sexual or relationship satisfaction (p ≥ 0.748). Findings of this study reiterate the relevance of long-known risk factors for understanding diminished erectile functioning while concomitantly indicating that masturbation frequency and pornography use show weak or no association with erectile functioning, ED severity, and relationship satisfaction. At the same time, although verification is needed, we do not dismiss the idea that heavy reliance on pornography use coupled with a high frequency of masturbation may represent a risk factor for diminished sexual performance during partnered sex and/or relationship satisfaction in subsets of particularly vulnerable men (e.g., younger, less experienced).
... Some of the symptoms and manifestations of PSIU are relatively well described in the literature. These include negative consequences (16)(17)(18)(19), loss of control (20), mood management (21,22), and salience/preoccupation (23). However, relatively weaker evidence exists for tolerance and withdrawal symptoms, and their manifestations. ...
... Since paraphilia is generally considered to be exclusion criteria (8,11,14), the presence of paraphilic or near paraphilic content may be confusing in diagnostics and should be further explored. Some studies reported the co-occurrence of paraphilic content consumption and porn addiction (19); however, that is usually explained by the compensation of unfulfilled sexual fantasies (43). In our study, it was connected to the effect of tolerance and desensitization. ...
Background: Problematic sexual internet use has been attracting increasing research attention in recent years. However, there is a paucity of qualitative studies about how this problem manifests on a daily basis in the clinical population and whether the phenomenon should fall within the hypersexual, compulsive-impulsive, or addictive spectrums of disorders.
Methods: Twenty-three semi-structured interviews, including AICA-C clinical interviews, were conducted with men who were in treatment for problematic internet sex use (aged 22–53; Mage = 35.82). The interview structure focused on the patterns of sexual behavior in question, their development, the manifestation of symptoms, and other associated psychosocial problems. A thematic analysis was applied as the main analytical strategy.
Results: Typical problematic patterns included pornography use and cybersex, together with continuous masturbation for several hours several times a week. This pattern emerged relatively early in young adulthood and became persistent for years. The majority of participants fulfilled the criteria for behavioral addiction (as defined, e.g., by the components model of addiction), with loss of control and preoccupation being the most pronounced and withdrawal symptoms being the least. Together with the onset of erectile dysfunction, negative consequences were reported as being slowly built up over years and typically in the form of deep life dissatisfaction, regret, and feelings of unfulfilled potential.
Discussion and Conclusion: The Addiction model is relevant for describing the difficulties in treatment-seeking men who suffer from problematic sexual internet use. However, the manifestations of the additional criteria are nuanced. In the case of negative consequences, their onset might be very slow and not easily reflected. While there was evidence of several forms of tolerance, potential withdrawal symptoms in online sex addiction need further attention to be verified.
... Participants were able to answer from a list of 10 specific types of pornography ("sexual intercourse with opposite-sex partners," "sexual activity involving domination and submission," etc.). These contents were extracted and adapted from studies assessing preferences for different pornographic contents (Hald, 2006;Hald & Štulhofer, 2016;Tripodi et al., 2015;Wéry & Billieux, 2016) and included normophilic and paraphilic sexual materials. Information on scale content and psychometric properties is reported in detail in the "Results" section. ...
... This would explain why factors such as belonging to a sexual minority or sexual dissatisfaction, regardless of having paraphilic sexual attractions or not, have been linked to the problematic cybersex use (Daspe et al., 2018;Studer et al., 2019). Another factor that has been related to a predisposition to problematic cybersex use is gender, specifically being a man Weinstein et al., 2015;Wéry & Billieux, 2016). Our results also show this relationship in all age groups; however, in general, the different pornography content does not affect cybersex addiction in a different way. ...
Introduction
Pornography consumption has increased exponentially in recent decades. Most studies conducted so far are focused on adult samples (typically, between 18 and 30 years old), limiting the generalizability of their results. This study aims to create a taxonomy that groups various pornographic contents and thus explore different aspects of its use (e.g., preference for different pornographic content, excessive and problematic use) in people at different life stages.
Methods
Between 2016 and 2019, 8,040 individuals (71.3% men) between 12 and 85 years old ( M = 33.25, SD = 14.31) completed a battery that explores pathological and non-pathological pornography use. Participants were distributed into five age groups (< 18 years old, between 18–25, 26–40, 41–60, and > 60) to perform the different analyses (ANOVA and chi-square tests for the differences between the groups, EFA for the analyses of categories of pornographic content, and hierarchical linear regressions to identify the factors related to problematic use).
Results
Pornography use was highly prevalent (> 85%) in all age groups. Using a data-driven approach, we found that the pornographic content explored in this research can be classified within four categories. Using this taxonomy, we found differences according to the age for most of the pornographic content explored (e.g., sexual intercourse with opposite-sex partners [71.6–84.5% in males and 70.2–89.5% in females]). Finally, we found that age conditions the way in which preference for different pornographic content increases the risk of excessive and problematic use.
Conclusions
Pornography consumption is frequent in different age groups, although it varies depending on age and content. In addition, some particular pornographic contents were identified that increase the risk of developing an addiction in different developmental stages.
Policy Implications
This study provides a preliminary foundation for identifying the unique characteristics of pornography use in different age groups as well as content related to increased problematic use.
... Several studies have shown that problematic use of internet for sexual purposes can be viewed as a dysfunctional coping strategy that reflects an experiential avoidance and/or a mood regulation strategy (Castro-Calvo et al., 2018;Chawla & Ostafin, 2007;Ley et al., 2014;Wéry & Billieux, 2016). Briken's (2020) integrative model also refers to the maladaptive coping strategies behind problematic online sexual behaviour, highlighting that it can constitute a coping strategy with negative reinforcement for patients with other psychiatric conditions (Briken, 2020). ...
... The OSAS is based on the transdiagnostic approach of problematic online sexual behaviour, and it incorporates the symptoms of both addiction and compulsivity; however, the scale is not entirely comprehensive. It does not cover the conceptualization of problematic OSA as a maladaptive coping strategy that reflects an experiential avoidance and/or a mood regulation, as suggested by several authors (Castro-Calvo et al., 2018;Chawla & Ostafin, 2007;Ley et al., 2014;Wéry & Billieux, 2016). ...
There is an ongoing scientific debate about the conceptualization of problematic online sexual activity (OSA). It is challenging to choose the proper instrument for assessing the phenomena. In this context, the newly developed Online Sexual Activity Scale (OSAS) might bring a new insight as it proposes to go beyond the nosological polemics. The OSAS elaborated in this compensatory framework incorporates criteria for conceptualizations of OSA as both addiction and compulsivity. A large sample of N = 5094 adults were recruited via convenience sampling on social networking platforms. Confirmatory factor analyses provided evidence for the one-factor structure of the OSAS with good fit indices and adequate reliability. The utility of the OSAS as a possible screening tool for identifying individuals with an elevated risk of problematic cybersex activity needs elucidation in future studies. The scale is available in English and Hungarian.
... Moreover, using pornography for sexual pleasure, boredom avoidance, and stress reduction were related to higher pornography use frequency, while motivations linked to problematic pornography use differed. Stress reduction was the strongest predictor of problematic pornography use, followed by emotional avoidance, boredom avoidance, fantasy, and sexual pleasure, suggesting that pornography use motivations may provide more essential information about the development of problematic or nonproblematic pornography use than single personality traits (Bőthe, Tóth-Király, Bella, et al., 2021;Reid, Li, Gilliland, Stein, & Fong, 2011;Wéry & Billieux, 2016). ...
... Less is known about the associations between problematic pornography use and sexual outcomes. However, men and women with problematic pornography use have reported lower sexual and relationship satisfaction (Bőthe, Tóth-Király, Demetrovics, & Orosz, 2017), and higher levels of sexual functioning problems (Bőthe, Tóth-Király, Griffiths, et al., 2021;Grubbs & Gola, 2019;Wéry & Billieux, 2016). Thus, existing results suggest that pornography use frequency in itself may be associated with little or no adverse sexual outcomes (Kohut, Fisher, & Campbell, 2017), while problematic pornography use has been consistently related to worse sexual outcomes. ...
The present chapter addresses the many faces of cybersex and describes the mental health challenges of various sexual activities using new technologies. This includes a range of sexual behaviors, from Internet use to sex with robots. In many cases, cybersex use is not problematic and not associated with personal distress or functional impairment. However, in those cases where people lose control over their cybersexual behavior or harm others we discuss diagnostic criteria as well as differential diagnoses and ways to evaluate the given behavior. The chapter also addresses the current state of research regarding the psychobiology as well as pharmacological and psychotherapeutic treatment options of cybersexual behaviors that are associated with mental health issues.
... Poland (4.5%), Australia (4.5%), the UK (4.5%), Germany (4.5%), and Spain (4.5%). One study drew from a multinational sample [36], and one study was conducted in each of the following countries: Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Portugal, South Korea. Regarding sample characteristics, age ...
... Rates of erectile dysfunction increased significantly when pornography use was preferred over partnered sex. Finally, additional research in a multi-national European sample [36] suggests that men's self- FPU frequency of pornography use, PPU self-reported problematic pornography use, OSA online sexual activities Curr Addict Rep reported problematic pornography use 1 (e.g., loss of control, negative impact, cognitive preoccupation) is robustly related to lower levels of erectile functioning cross-sectionally. ...
Purpose of Review
Pornography use is a common recreational activity in most developed nations with unrestricted internet access. As public awareness of pornography’s popularity has grown, so have concerns about potentially deleterious effects of pornography. One domain of particular concern has been the impact of pornography use and online sexual behaviors on sexual wellbeing. Over recent years, a number of studies have examined how pornography use relates to sexual wellbeing. The present work seeks to review such literature, with a particular focus on the effects of pornography on sexual functioning and sexual satisfaction. To this end, a systematic review of recent research (within the past 5 years) was conducted.
Recent Findings
A total of 44 articles were included in the systematic review. In some situations, pornography use is associated with greater sexual functioning and greater sexual satisfaction, and in other cases it seems to be associated with lower sexual functioning and lower sexual satisfaction. Specifically, mere pornography use itself was most often not associated with sexual functioning in either direction, but self-reported problematic use of pornography was consistently associated with more sexual functioning problems.
Summary
Collectively, results suggest a nuanced understanding of the effects of pornography on sexual wellbeing, with the context of and perceptions about pornography use being extremely important in predicting whether or not pornography has negative effects.
... Apart from that, the frequent pornography usage would subject the users to pornography addiction and unsafe sexual activities (Peter & Valkenburg, 2016;Manaf, Tahir, & Sidi, 2014;Awaluddin, Ahmad, & Saleh, 2015). Pornography addiction is a significant problem nowadays as those involved are willing to spend a lot of money to satisfy their craving for pornographic viewing, and in order to achieve this, they may not hesitate to be involved in stealing or gambling (Wéry & Billieux, 2016, Cheney, Kamusiime, & Mekonnen Yimer, 2017. ...
... Most of the pornographic users in this study had access to the pornographic materials through free internet, and only a small proportion of them had spent money on their activity. A similar pattern was seen among university students in Belgium; with only 4% of the online sexual activity users spent money on their activity (Wéry & Billieux, 2016). Previously, there is a barrier in accessing pornographic materials as the user need to purchase it through shops or cinemas, which may expose them to the sellers. ...
Despite the wide accessibility to internet, pornography activities among youths are not well described in conservative countries like Malaysia. This study aimed to determine the prevalence, elicit gender differences and identify associated factors of pornographic exposure including perceived realism among college students. This cross-sectional study was conducted among students aged 18 to 25 years from seven colleges in Penang, Malaysia. A self-administered questionnaire was used to obtain data on socio-demographic characteristics, pornography exposure, pattern of use, sexual exposure and perceived realism. Among 986 participants, the prevalence of lifetime pornography exposure was 74.5%. More males (71.7%) were exposed to pornography, had started at earlier age, were frequent users and using the internet alone at home (p<0.001). Males had higher odds of having exposure (Adjusted odds ratio, AOR= 20.44, 95% CI: 12.50 – 33.42, p<0.001), whilst those who perceived pornography as real had lower odds of having pornographic exposure (AOR= 0.64, 95% CI: 0.43-0.94, p=0.02). There is a high prevalence of pornography exposure among Malaysian college students, especially involving males. Easy access to pornographic materials at home facilitates this activity. Gender and perceived realism determined their pornographic exposure. Thus, parental monitoring of online access and planning structured activities to occupy free time are recommended at an early age.
... Next, we conducted measurement invariance testing to examine whether the PPCS-6-A functions the same way in gender-and sexual orientation-based subgroups. Given PPU's theoretically relevant and empirically pre-established positive associations with pornography use and masturbation frequency Kohut & Štulhofer, 2018), age at first pornography use Lewczuk et al., 2017), sexual interest and arousal, and sexual distress Leonhardt et al., 2020;Wéry & Billieux, 2016), we assessed these constructs as correlates to examine the convergent validity of PPCS-6-A. Lastly, similarly to prior work in adults and adolescent boys Štulhofer et al., 2020), latent profile analysis was conducted to identify adolescents potentially at risk of PPU. ...
... ** p < .01. 8 adolescents (Bőthe et al., 2017;Bőthe et al., 2021;Kohut & Štulhofer, 2018). Moreover, higher levels of PPU were related to higher levels of sexual interest and arousal and sexual distress, with small effect sizes, corroborating prior findings among adults Leonhardt et al., 2020;Wéry & Billieux, 2016). Higher levels of PPU were associated with younger age at first pornography use, with a small effect size, similarly to prior studies examining treatment seeking and nontreatment seeking adults Lewczuk et al., 2017). ...
Objective: Despite the high prevalence of adolescents’ pornography use and increasing societal concerns about it, the examination of problematic pornography use (PPU) among this population is still scarce, potentially due to the lack of well-validated, reliable measures. The aims of the present study were to validate a short, theory-based measure of PPU in a diverse sample of adolescents and identify a potentially at-risk problematic pornography user group. Method: We used a sample of 802 adolescents (35% girls; 14%
sexual minority; Mage = 15.4 years, SD = 0.6) who reported lifetime pornography use, collected as part of an ongoing longitudinal study on adolescents’ sexual health. To examine the psychometric properties of the short, six-item version of the Problematic Pornography Consumption Scale for adolescents (PPCS-6-A), we conducted confirmatory factor analysis, gender and sexual orientation measurement invariance testing, and assessed theoretically relevant correlates (e.g., masturbation frequency). We conducted latent profile analysis to identify adolescents at risk of PPU. Results: The PPCS-6-A demonstrated strong psychometric properties in terms of factor structure, measurement invariance (i.e., boys vs. girls, and heterosexual vs. sexual minority adolescents), and reliability, and correlated reasonably with the assessed variables. Ten
percent of participants were identified as being at-risk of PPU. Conclusions: The PPCS-6-A can be considered a short, reliable, and valid scale to assess PPU in adolescents, and may distinguish between low-risk and at-risk problematic users. Its use in future studies could lead to a better understanding of the prevalence and characteristics of adolescents’ PPU.
... It may also be associated with shame, rumination (Reid et al., 2014a), anxiety and depression (Štulhofer et al., 2016;Castro-Calvo et al., 2020), and even suicidal behaviors in extreme cases (Chatzittofis et al., 2017). Hypersexuality has also been connected to sexual dissatisfaction (Wéry and Billieux, 2016;Dwulit and Rzymski, 2019;Kowalewska et al., 2019;Miner et al., 2019). ...
Sexual satisfaction is tremendously relevant to wellbeing and quality of life. Inversely, hypersexuality may increase the risk of psychological distress, unprotected sex, and marital problems. This study attempts to explore the sociodemographic variables related to hypersexuality and the relationship between hypersexuality and sexual dissatisfaction with psychological inflexibility, cognitive fusion, body awareness, bodily dissociation, and mindfulness skills in the Spanish population. The sample was made up of 530 participants between 18 and 67 years of age. In total, 5.5% displayed hypersexuality, more likely in males, lesbians and gay men, singles, and students. An online survey was conducted including standardized questionnaires as follows: AAQ-II, CFQ, SBC, MAAS, NSSS-S, and HBI. Significant moderate positive correlations were found between hypersexuality and psychological inflexibility, cognitive fusion, and bodily dissociation, and an inverse moderate correlation with mindfulness skills. Moderate negative correlations were found between sexual satisfaction and bodily dissociation. Linear regression showed psychological inflexibility was the variable with the most weight on hypersexuality, while bodily dissociation was the variable with the most influence on sexual dissatisfaction. This study suggests lesbians and gay men, males, and singles may show an increased vulnerability toward engaging in hypersexual behavior and provides justification for interventions focused on psychological inflexibility and mindfulness skills to treat hypersexuality and improve sexual satisfaction.
... Researchers argue that watching pornography might be addictive (Karila et al., 2014). It has been reported that IPD is associated with increasing Internet use and adverse effects in life, such as school/academic/job functioning (Duffy et al., 2016); (Wéry & Billieux, 2016). IPD is a condition in which individuals use pornography compulsively, to the exclusion of other interests, whereby their persistent and recurrent activity of viewing pornography results in clinically significant impairment or distress. ...
With rapid technological advances, users worldwide have access to various data and content on the internet, including pornographic content. The availability of pornographic videos on the internet harms the morale and image of adolescents and adults of both sexes. This study aims to determine the gender-specific relationship between pornography motivation, sexual arousal, and sexual satisfaction with Internet Pornography-Viewing-Disorder (IPD). This type of research is quantitative. Convenience sampling was used in conducting the approach, and 202 participants filled out the distributed Google forms. The respondents of this study were online pornography users from Malaysia and Indonesia. Data was collected using an online questionnaire through social networking sites such as Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Whatsapp. Data were analyzed using quantitative descriptive data analysis. This involves processing and presenting data in descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation. This study provides an essential understanding of the role of sexual arousal and the desire to experience pleasure in viewing online pornography. The research results show that these factors have a significant influence as a motivator for individuals who engage in these behaviours. More specifically, these findings suggest that men are more driven by sexual arousal and the desire to seek pleasure when accessing online pornography. The implications of this finding are very relevant in educational guidance and counselling. In seeking to help individuals who engage in online pornographic behaviour, counsellors and educators must understand that sexual arousal and the desire to experience pleasure can act as powerful motivators. In counselling, it is necessary to consider how these factors can influence individual behaviour and psychological health.
... Sehingga masyarakat perlu selalu melakukan aktivitas yang positif dengan menghindari pornografi. Kebiasaan menonton pornografi secara online merupakan aktivitas seksual online yang paling banyak dijumpai, dan penggunaannya yang berlebihan menyebabkan aktivitas gairah soliter, hasrat seksual yang lebih tinggi, kepuasan seksual yang lebih rendah secara keseluruhan, dan fungsi ereksi menjadi buruk [40]. ...
... The same could be argued about sexual dysfunctions like pornography-induced erectile dysfunction (Wéry & Billieux, 2016). Criterion nine can easily link with the eighth and sixth criterion. ...
Since the dawn of the internet, pornography has effectively become ubiquitous, pervasive, and increasingly normalised. Study findings show remarkable similarities in how the brain reacts to pornography, and other known addictive substances, and indicate that consuming pornography is comparable to consuming other known addictive substances. Moreover, two of the biggest risk factors for addiction are the substance’s availability and its easy accessibility, particularly in the case of younger persons. To date, pornography addiction has been conceptualised as a behavioural addiction. However, the body of research data on pornography addiction does not provide conclusive support for behavioural addiction. The aim of this thesis is to put forward the idea that pornography can, and should, be conceptualised as an addictive substance, and, that when pornography is consumed, an addictive substance is consumed. In order to support this claim, there are many factors that must be addressed. I first clarify what pornography entails by exploring how it is conceptualised, what pornography ‘does’, and what it means to be a pornography consumer. Secondly, I examine the conceptualisations of substances, substance consumption and addiction, respectively, as well as the subsequent difference between substance and behavioural addiction. Thirdly, I give an inclusive overview of pornography addiction by not only examining the most recent perspectives of researchers, but also of pornography consumers. I conclude by suggesting how we should go about conceptualising pornography addiction, and then propose how the set of diagnostic criteria for pornography use disorder should be formulated for a future iteration of the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. I argue that, given the abundance of academic research on substance addiction, compared to the scarcity of research on behavioural addiction, conceptualising pornography as an addictive substance is more likely to create a sense of urgency for the future research of pornography addiction than would be the case if it is considered a potential behavioural addiction. Furthermore, I argue that the classification of pornography as an addictive substance, and the inclusion of pornography use disorder in a future iteration of the DSM, will raise awareness of the potential adverse effects of pornography consumption and, therefore, the harmful consequences of pornography use disorder.
... This should give us some confidence that around half of younger men are frequent (meaning at-least-weekly) porn users. Regarding the amount of exposure, one study reports that the men sampled viewed an average of three hours of pornography per week, 55 although other studies report figures in the one to two hours per week range. 56,57 A few studies have formally compared porn use among heterosexual and gay and bisexual men. ...
This chapter reviews research into the contents and consumption of pornography to provide sex educators with a picture of the average porn consumer and the messages they would receive through their consumption. Such information has the potential to inform both programs designed to bolster porn literacy and the use of pornography to promote sexual learning. Research into the contents of pornography is varied and, at times, complicated to parse. For example, answering the question of whether pornography is degrading requires a nuanced consideration of ways in which agency and objectification may be expressed. Some aspects of pornography are more plainly problematic from a sexual education perspective (e.g., infrequent depictions of condom use, minimal overt discussion of consent). Pornography use is close to ubiquitous, especially among younger men. Around half of younger men are frequent porn users. Pornography is most frequently used for solitary masturbation, although use with a sexual partner is not uncommon (especially among female porn users).
... multiple partners, unprotected sex; Benotsch et al., 2013;Temple et al., 2012;Ybarra & Mitchell, 2014). Wéry and Billieux (2016) have shown that problematic use of TMSI is associated with lower sexual satisfaction. Yet, one study found that adults who sexted their romantic partner reported greater sexual satisfaction than non-sexters (Galovan et al., 2018). ...
The evolution of technology has transformed the way young adults develop and maintain relationships, including their sexuality. Since many young adults report low sexual satisfaction, it is important to understand what contributes to these negative experiences. Several studies have identified that attachment anxiety and avoidance are related to lower sexual satisfaction. However, few studies have considered technology-mediated sexual interactions (TMSI) – and the motives for doing so – in the associations between attachment and sexual satisfaction. This study explored the mediating and moderating role of TMSI (frequency and motives) in these associations in a sample of 478 young adults (Study 1) and 142 couples (Study 2). Results showed that attachment anxiety was related to a higher TMSI frequency and engaging in TMSI for avoidance motives. Engaging in TMSI for approach motives was related to higher sexual satisfaction, while engaging in TMSI for avoidance motives was related to lower sexual satisfaction. Finally, engaging in TMSI to manage distance moderated the association between attachment avoidance and sexual satisfaction. These results suggest that beyond the role of attachment anxiety and avoidance, contemporary factors related to digital technologies, such as sexting frequency and motives, are related to sexual satisfaction.
... Lying at the heart of classic hedonic entertainment conceptualizations, such emotionally motivated or mood-repair related media use is assumed to explain why consumption of entertainment media, initially perceived as enjoyable and fulfilling, might become dysfunctional over time when repeatedly invested as the primary option to escape from negative affective states, thereby fueling a misguided self-reinforcing loop (Reer et al., 2021). The drive to engage in appetitive behaviors to relieve negative emotional states is indeed a well-supported risk factor associated with problematic recreational involvement across various domains (e.g., video gaming, gambling, cybersex; Blasi et al., 2019;Canale et al., 2015;Wéry and Billieux, 2016), ultimately expressing potential maladaptive compensation for insufficient satisfaction of real-life needs (e.g., Allen and Anderson, 2018). Whether these media use coping strategies become maladaptive, however, seems to strongly depend on individual differences in self-control abilities according to the DMP. ...
As on-demand streaming technology rapidly expanded, binge-watching (i.e., watching
multiple episodes of TV series back-to-back) has become a widespread activity, and
substantial research has been conducted to explore its potential harmfulness. There is,
however, a need for differentiating non-harmful and problematic binge-watching. This
is the first study using a machine learning analytical strategy to further investigate the
distinct psychological predictors of these two binge-watching patterns. A total of 4275
TV series viewers completed an online survey assessing sociodemographic variables,
binge-watching engagement, and relevant predictor variables (i.e., viewing motivations,
impulsivity facets, and affect). In one set of analyses, we modeled intensity of nonharmful
involvement in binge-watching as the dependent variable, while in a following
set of analyses, we modeled intensity of problematic involvement in binge-watching as
the dependent variable. Emotional enhancement motivation, followed by enrichment
and social motivations, were the most important variables in modeling non-harmful
involvement. Coping/escapism motivation, followed by urgency and lack of
perseverance (two impulsivity traits), were found as the most important predictors of
problematic involvement. These findings indicate that non-harmful involvement is
characterized by positive reinforcement triggered by TV series watching, while
problematic involvement is linked to negative reinforcement motives and impulsivity
traits.
... Cooper (1998) suggested that three specific properties of the Internet platforms, namely accessibility, affordability, and anonymity, might increase the likelihood of compulsively using online pornographic contents. Despite these properties might concur to the development of problematic pornography use, research suggests that individuals who are excessively engaged in online pornography watch pornographic videos in order to regulate mood (Wéry & Billieux, 2016), to avoid unpleasant mental states and actual problems (Wéry et al., 2019), and also because of their high levels of impulsivity and dysfunctional coping strategies (Antons et al., 2019). ...
Objective: The positive association between problematic Internet use (PIU) and
emotion dysregulation (ED) is well documented. Research has also found that interpersonal
guilt is positively associated with ED. Nevertheless, the influence of interpersonal
guilt on PIU has been scarcely examined. In the current study, we investigated
the relationships among the three constructs, and tested if emotion dysregulation mediates
the association between interpersonal guilt and different types of PIU, namely
problematic online gaming, problematic social media use, and problematic online
pornography use.
Method: A sample of 434 adult participants (210 males, 48.4%) aged between 18
and 69 years old completed self-reported measures on interpersonal guilt, ED, and
PIU. A structural equation modeling (SEM) framework was used to test the mediation
models.
Results: SEM analyses showed that ED mediates the relationship between interpersonal
guilt as antecedent, and problematic online gaming, problematic social media
use, and problematic online pornography use as outcomes.
Conclusions: Our findings suggest that emotion dysregulation deriving from experiences
of interpersonal guilt can amplify the risk of using gaming, social media, and
online pornography in a problematic way. Implications for prevention and treatment
of PIU are discussed.
Key words: interpersonal guilt, emotion dysregulation, problematic gaming,
problematic social media use, problematic online pornography use
... A la panoplia de conceptos utilizados, se ha sumado en las últimas décadas el concepto de cibersexo (Ballester et al., 2014), el cual es usado como categoría que incluye a la pornografía, pero también a las interacciones sexuales mediante medios tecnológicos con otras personas en tiempo real; fenómenos relacionados pero radicalmente distintos. Si a esto último se le suma la búsqueda de información sexual sin fines de estimulación, se llega al concepto de actividad sexual en línea (OSA, por sus siglas en inglés; e. g. Wéry y Billieux, 2016). En un tono similar está el concepto del ciberporno (Preciado, 2008), que diferencia la pornografía en internet de aquellas que se sustentan en materiales físicos concretos. ...
La pornografía en internet se presenta como un fenómeno sin precedentes en la historia de la humanidad. Este trabajo expone una revisión teórico-histórica que da cuenta de las transformaciones culturales y sociojurídicas que permitieron su conformación, y al mismo tiempo destaca los rasgos distintivos que la separan cualitativamente de formas similares de material erotizante. En un movimiento dialéctico, caracterizado inicialmente por la unión entre sexualidad y divinidad, posteriormente por una era oscura de censura y opresión y, finalmente, por una nueva liberación como mercancía y entretenimiento en la era de la información, la pornografía ha sufrido transformaciones vertiginosas que adelantan con creces el estudio de la academia, particularmente en nuestra realidad latinoamericana.
... Despite these harmful effects, other studies have suggested some potential positive gains of IPU in that it enhances sexual knowledge [31,32], openness [33], and yields more significant positive effects in men's lives [34]. The act of watching porn is also categorised as an emotional coping mechanism (e.g., stress relief and relaxation) [35]. However, these individuals can end up experiencing more issues related to problematic IPU [36]. ...
Past studies have demonstrated a link between pornography use and addiction to pornography, the underlying mechanism of the association is still unclear. This study intended to examine the mediating role of perceived realism of pornography in the association between pornography use and addiction among emerging adults in Malaysia. This study recruited 222 self-identified pornography users (M age = 21.05; SD Age = 1.68; 75.1% male respondents) via the purposive sampling method. The correlation results indicated positive associations among pornography use, addiction to pornography, and perceived realism of pornography. Further, the perceived realism of pornography significantly mediated the association between pornography use and addiction to pornography after controlling for gender. Thus, this study has provided a fundamental understanding on the perceived realism role of pornography in explaining the association between its use and addiction. Although it is unlikely to stop illegal pornography use, the results pointed out a need to guide emerging adults in pornography use via media literacy programmes.
... Despite these harmful effects, other studies have suggested some potential positive gains of IPU in that it enhances sexual knowledge [31,32], openness [33], and yields more significant positive effects in men's lives [34]. The act of watching porn is also categorised as an emotional coping mechanism (e.g., stress relief and relaxation) [35]. However, these individuals can end up experiencing more issues related to problematic IPU [36]. ...
Internet pornography use (IPU) refers to Internet-based sexually explicit materials that are ultimately used to elicit sexual feelings or thoughts. The accessibility of Internet pornography could lead to excessive exposure to pornographic messages, posing a risk to heavy users’ psychological health. This paper offers a preliminary understanding of the relationship between Internet pornography use and psychological distress among emerging adults and the moderating role of gender in the association. This cross-sectional study has taken a purposive sampling approach to recruit 144 emerging adult pornography users via the online survey method. The results indicated that males reported having more problematic Internet pornography use, and there were no gender differences in psychological distress. Meanwhile, gender is a significant moderator between Internet pornography use and psychological distress. The females were found to be more psychologically affected by their problematic Internet pornography use than the males. Overall, this study has provided a novel finding of the moderating role of gender in problematic Internet pornography use and psychological distress in the Malaysian context. This study also calls for a gender-focused sexual health programme for Malaysian emerging adults. Furthermore, the scores of problematic IPU in this study raise a concern over the effectiveness of current sex education in Malaysia. The scores may highlight the need to provide education targeting Internet pornography use.
... A nivel individual, una hipótesis común es que las actitudes y las preferencias hacia la pornografía se verían alteradas por el mismo consumo. Desde la década del 80 ya varios estudios sugerían una progresión frente al consumo de pornografía violenta y representaciones de escenas de violación que iría desde la incomodidad, pasando por la desensibilización y llegando a la excitación (Wéry & Billieux, 2016;Zillmann & Bryant, 1986). Más recientemente, el trabajo de Seigfried-Spellar y Rogers (2013) sugiere una progresión de tipo Guttmann (i.e. ...
Internet ha cambiado los modos de relacionarse, específicamente el uso de redes sociales y el consumo de contenido multimedia, incluyendo la pornografía. A pesar de lo anterior, existe escasa literatura empírica nacional que aborde el fenómeno de la pornografía en internet. El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo describir los efectos de la pornografía desde una perspectiva biopsicosocial, dando particular énfasis a la pornografía en internet, a fin de contextualizar dicho campo. Dentro de las tres dimensiones cubiertas, los estudios tienden a descartar la existencia de efectos evidentes, de alto impacto y a corto plazo, como también destacan la importancia del contexto en su modulación. Se presentan limitantes y observaciones críticas a los estudios reportados, como también se insta a abrir el debate académico nacional en torno a un fenómeno que, hace bastante, escapa de nuestras pantallas y demanda una aproximación científica críticamente actualizada.
... A series of items were developed specifically for this study in order to assess the frequency of engagement in online sexual activities (OSAs) in the previous 6 months. The items were created in accordance with themes presented in previous studies [23,[29][30][31][32]. A total of 5 items was used, measuring 2 types of online sexual activities dating back 6 months: Solitary OSAs (2 items; α = 0.939; e.g., "I watched sexually explicit material on the internet") and Partnered OSAs (3 items; α = 0.813; e.g., "I have exchanged intimate photos with another person"). ...
The online environment has had a profound sociocultural impact, and its implications pose new challenges to modern-day societies. The digital sexual and dating domains have dramatically affected sexual and romantic behavior and norms, and yet, no empirical studies have addressed the role of the sexual self-concept in driving sexual and romantic online behavior. The aim of this study is to identify reliable sexual self-configurations through a cluster analysis approach and determine whether these profiles are informative in relation to app use motives and sexual outcomes. For this purpose, a total of 244 subjects were recruited. Survey questions measured a set of demographic parameters, motives for app use, online sexual activities, attachment orientations, the sexual self-concept and sexual satisfaction. Five clusters were identified, including two with high levels of sexual drive (“Driven” and “Adventurous”), two with low levels of sexual drive (“Unassured” and “Naïve”) and one with an intermediate level of sexual drive (“Competent”). The clusters differed on gender, attachment styles, app use patterns and sexual characteristics. These findings provide insight into how the sexual self-concept relates to the interaction between individuals and the online sexual and dating scenes.
... Focusing on the risks of pornography, the literature has reported on the negative effects on -or the concerns about -young people's emotional and psychological development, including encouraging greater acceptance of sexual permissiveness, sexual activity at an early age, risky sexual behaviour, and acceptance of negative attitudes towards women, promoting a negative body image, and exerting pressure to perform pornographic acts and commit sexual offenses or accept rape myths (Albright, 2008;Dombrowski et al., 2007;National Center on Sexual Exploitation, 2016;Owens et al., 2012;Peter and Valkenburg, 2016;Wéry and Billieux, 2016). ...
Sexually explicit material (SEM) is easily accessed by adolescents. This cross-sectional study examined the characteristics of 413 Italian adolescents (aged 17-22, 55% female) who use SEM. We examined the associations of SEM use with relationship status, religiosity, and emotional intelligence. All of the respondents reported accessing SEM while underage, with males using SEM more than females and accessing SEM at an earlier age; earlier exposure to SEM was also found to influence later SEM use. The reasons for watching pornography also differed be-tween the genders. There was a partial connection between the EQ-I:YV, SEM use, and recent sexual activity. The gender differences in terms of the prevalence and reasons for the use of SEM may be connected to a more general gender cultural stereotype.
... Research shows that over 80% of the people seeking treatment for compulsive sexual behaviour disorder have reported an inability to control their use of pornography, despite negative consequences [28,30,[37][38][39][40]. Those include negative effects on relationships, on work and on sexual offending. ...
Purpose of Review
Reports of sexual violence, especially towards women and children, are rapidly increasing. At the same time, rates of problematic pornography use (PPU) are accelerating across the world too. The purpose of this review is to consider the recent research on PPU and its contribution to sexual violence. The article offers guidance to governments on possible health policy interventions and legal actions to prevent the development of PPU and to reduce the incidence of sexual violence in society.
Recent Findings
Working from the consumer’s point of view, we identify PPU and ask how much pornography is needed to cause PPU. We examine how PPU drives sexual offending in children, adolescents and adults. The impact of PPU on some consumers’ behaviour suggests significant links to domestic violence. Sexual strangulation is highlighted as an example. Artificial intelligence algorithms play a key role in the pornography industry and appear to be driving escalation to more violent material, inducing high levels of sexual dysfunction in consumers and creating appetites for viewing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Summary
Easy access to internet pornography has led to an increase in PPU and sexual violence. Diagnoses and treatments for PPU are examined, as are legal transgressions of a civil and criminal nature arising from PPU. Legal remedies and government policy implications are discussed from the point of view of the precautionary principle. Strategies covered include age verification for pornography, public health campaigns and embedded health and legal warnings for users at the start of pornography sessions along with lessons for pupils about pornography’s impact on the brain.
... Despite data indicating an association of CSB symptoms with engaging in sexual behavior to cope with difficult emotions (such as sadness, anger, shame, boredom, loneliness), stress and painful experiences (46)(47)(48), the criteria for the diagnosis of CSBD do not include criterion A2. and A3. as proposed by Kafka (9). Over the past three decades, concepts and theoretical models that highlight the links between CSB symptoms and emotional dysregulation and/or vulnerability to stress have emerged (60)(61)(62). The Goodman's model assumes the existence of 3 elements: impaired ability to regulate affect, impaired behavioral inhibition and abnormalities in functioning of motivational reward systems (7). ...
In 2019 Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder (CSBD) has been officially included in the forthcoming 11th edition of the International Classification of Diseases published by the World Health Organization (WHO). The placement of CSBD as a new disease entity was preceded by a three-decade-long discussion on the conceptualization of these behaviors. Despite the potential benefits of WHO's decisions, the controversy around this topic has not ceased. Both clinicians and scientists are still debating on gaps in the current knowledge regarding the clinical picture of people with CSBD, and the neural and psychological mechanisms underlying this problem. This article provides an overview of the most important issues related to the formation of CSBD as a separate diagnostic unit in the classifications of mental disorders (such as DSM and ICD), as well as a summary of the major controversies related to the current classification of CSBD.
... 3 In under 19-year olds alone, in the UK, the National Health Service recorded a threefold increase in referrals for psychosexual therapy between 2015-2018. 4 Studies that have looked beyond the prevalence rates of these problems, have found a correlation between pornography use and erectile dysfunction, low libido, difficulty orgasming (Carvalheira, Traeen, and Stulhofer 2015;Wéry and Billieux 2016), and a preference for pornography over actual sex with a partner (Pizzol, Bertoldo, and Foresta 2016;Sun et al. 2015). Relevant to the question of causation, even though this cannot be claimed to be decisive vis-à-vis etiology, we also have evidence that the cessation of the consumption of online pornography can restore healthy sexual functioning, providing further support for the contention that online pornography most likely plays an important part in sexual dysfunctions (Park et al. 2016). ...
This introduction summarizes the research on the impact of online pornography on sexual health and relationships in young people. I suggest that the difference between pre-Internet and online pornography is not in any straightforward sense only one of degree. I argue that this is because the online medium changes the young person’s relationship to the sexual materials by providing a virtual space within which sexual desire is gratified quickly and non-reflectively, undermining the capacity to mentalize one’s own sexual desire and that of the other.
... However, this mood improvement was accompanied by lower levels of sexual arousal (Laier & Brand, 2017), suggesting that men using pornography to reduce their negative emotions may engage in less partnered sexual activities and may experience lower sexual wellbeing. From another perspective, using pornography for emotional avoidance purposes was also linked to higher levels of hypersexuality and problematic pornography use (Bőthe, Tóth-Király, Bella et al., 2020;Reid et al., 2011), which in turn, were associated with lower levels of sexual wellbeing (Bőthe et al., 2017Wéry & Billieux, 2016). Thus, using pornography to reduce negative emotions and stress may be an indicator of potential underlying problematic pornography use (Bőthe, Tóth-Király, Bella et al., 2019;Khantzian, 1997), that in turn, may reduce men's sexual wellbeing. ...
Pornography use is prevalent, even among partnered individuals. Although pornography use motivations represent key predictors of sexual behaviors, prior studies only assessed the associations between pornography use frequency and sexual wellbeing, with mixed results. This cross-sectional dyadic study examined the associations between partners’ individual and partnered pornography use frequency, motivations, and sexual wellbeing. Self-report data from 265 couples (Mage_men = 31.49 years, SD = 8.26; Mage_women = 29.36 years, SD = 6.74) were analyzed using an actor-partner interdependence model. Men’s greater emotional avoidance motivation was related to their own lower sexual function (β = −.24, p = .004) and greater sexual distress (β = .19, p = .012), while their higher sexual curiosity motivation was related to higher partnered sexual frequency (β = .15, p = .031), their own greater sexual satisfaction (β = .13, p = .022), sexual function (β = .16, p = .009), and lower sexual distress (β = −.13, p = .043). Women’s higher partnered pornography use frequency was associated with their own greater sexual function (β = .15, p = .034) and lower sexual distress (β = −.14, p = .012). Additionally, women’s higher individual pornography use frequency (β = .33, p < .001) and lower sexual pleasure motivation (β = −.35, p = .002) were associated with higher partnered sexual frequency. No partner effects were observed. Findings highlight that women’s pornography use frequency and each partner’s motivations might play crucial roles in couples’ sexual wellbeing.
A previous study found a variety of unusual sexual interests to cluster in a five-factor structure, namely submission/masochism, forbidden sexual activities, dominance/sadism, mysophilia, and fetishism ( Schippers et al., 2021 ). The current study was an empirical replication to examine whether these findings generalized to a representative population sample. An online, anonymous sample ( N = 256) representative of the Dutch adult male population rated 32 unusual sexual interests on a scale from 1 (very unappealing) to 7 (very appealing). An exploratory factor analysis assessed whether similar factors would emerge as in the original study. A subsequent confirmatory factor analysis served to confirm the factor structure. Four slightly different factors of sexual interest were found: extreme, illegal and mysophilic sexual activities; light BDSM without real pain or suffering; heavy BDSM that may include pain or suffering; and illegal but lower-sentenced and fetishistic sexual activities. The model fit was acceptable. The representative replication sample was more sexually conservative and showed less sexual engagement than the original convenience sample. On a fundamental level, sexual interest in light BDSM activities and extreme, forbidden, and mysophilic activities seem to be relatively separate constructs.
A significant increase in pornography use has been reported in the adolescent population worldwide over the past few years, with intensification of the phenomenon during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of the present review is to provide data on the frequency of pornography consumption among adolescents during the pandemic and raise awareness about its potential impact on personal beliefs and sexual attitudes in the long term. A comprehensive literature review was performed in two scientific databases using the crossmatch of the terms “pornography”, “adolescents” and “COVID-19”. A significant increase in pornography consumption in adolescents was documented during the COVID-19 pandemic as a result of social detachment. Fulfilment of sexual desires in the context of social distancing, alleviation of COVID-19-related boredom and psychological strain, and coping with negative emotions are some of the reported reasons for increased pornography use during the pandemic. However, concerns have been raised in the literature regarding potentially negative effects of excessive pornography use from an early age, including the development of pornography addiction, sexual dissatisfaction and aggressive sexual attitudes reinforced by gender preoccupations and sexual inequality beliefs.
Conclusion: The extent to which increased pornography consumption from an early age during the COVID-19 pandemic may have affected adolescents’ mental well-being, personality construction and sexual behaviour is yet to be seen. Vigilance from the society as a whole is required so that potential negative adverse effects of adolescent pornography use and potential social implications are recognized early and managed. Further research is needed so that the full impact of the COVID-19-related pornography use in the adolescent population is revealed.What is Known:
•A significant increase in pornography consumption has been documented in the adolescent population worldwide over the past decades due to its quick, affordable and easy access from electronic devices and the possibility of anonymous and private participation.
•During the COVID-19 pandemic, this phenomenon was intensified as a coping mechanism to social isolation and increased psychosocial strain.
What is New:
•Concerns have been raised regarding the risk of pornography addiction in adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic, making the post-pandemic adaptation challenging.
•Awareness is raised in parents, health care providers and policy makers about the potential negative impacts of pornography consumption from an early, vulnerable age, such as sexual dissatisfaction and development of aggressive sexual attitudes and sex inequality beliefs.
The interface of sexual behavior and evolutionary psychology is a rapidly growing domain, rich in psychological theories and data as well as controversies and applications. With nearly eighty chapters by leading researchers from around the world, and combining theoretical and empirical perspectives, The Cambridge Handbook of Evolutionary Perspectives on Sexual Psychology is the most comprehensive and up-to-date reference work in the field. Providing a broad yet in-depth overview of the various evolutionary principles that influence all types of sexual behaviors, the handbook takes an inclusive approach that draws on a number of disciplines and covers nonhuman and human psychology. It is an essential resource for both established researchers and students in psychology, biology, anthropology, medicine, and criminology, among other fields. Volume 4: Controversies, Applications, and Nonhuman Primate Extensions addresses controversies and unresolved issues; applications to health, law, and pornography; and non-human primate evolved sexual psychology.
Pornography has long been a subject of interest to researchers, policy makers, and the general public. This chapter provides an overview of recent findings in pornography research with an emphasis on male sexuality. First, we present a brief summary focused on the definition of pornography. Then we outline the results of studies on pornography use along with details about how often men and women consume pornography, what type of pornography they prefer, and other aspects of pornography use. Finally, we address the results of some of the most significant research on the effects of pornography use on male sexuality, such as risky sexual behavior, sexual self-esteem and well-being, sexual dysfunction, sexuality in couples, and pornography addiction. The findings of current research on pornography are limited by methodological and theoretical shortcomings which compromise their generalizability. We provide a short overview of some limitations in the measurement of pornography use. All in all, many findings on pornography, its use, impact, and long-term effects are preliminary and should be interpreted with caution.
Résumé
Objectifs
Cette recherche a pour but l’étude des facteurs individuels liés à l’utilisation problématique de pornographie en ligne (UPPL) sur un échantillon d’hommes et de femmes. Spécifiquement, il s’agira (1) de déterminer si la fréquence de consommation, les motifs de consommation ou l’historique sexuel permettent de discriminer les hommes et les femmes présentant une UPPL des hommes et des femmes sans UPPL, et (2) de vérifier si ces mêmes variables permettent de prédire l’UPPL chez les hommes et les femmes.
Méthodes
Au total, 614 utilisateurs et utilisatrices de pornographie en ligne âgés de 16 à 69 ans ont complété un questionnaire en ligne sur leur historique sexuel ainsi que les versions françaises du Short Internet Sex Addiction Test, du Pornography Consumption Inventory et du Sexual Experiences Survey-Perpetration – Tactics first.
Résultats
Les résultats suggèrent que (1) les hommes présentant une UPPL ont des scores significativement plus élevés que les utilisateurs sans UPPL au niveau de la fréquence d’utilisation, des trois motifs de consommations (évitement émotionnel, curiosité sexuelle et plaisir sexuel) et des antécédents de coercition sexuelle ; (2) les femmes présentant une UPPL ont obtenu des scores plus élevés que les utilisatrices sans UPPL sur ces mêmes variables ; (3) lorsque les hommes et les femmes présentant une UPPL ont été comparés entre eux, aucune différence significative n’a été décelée, à l’exception de la fréquence de consommation des hommes qui était significativement plus élevée que celle des femmes; et (4) que les variables à l’étude permettent d’expliquer 39,8 % de l’UPPL chez les hommes et 31,7 % chez les femmes.
Conclusions
Ces résultats suggèrent que les motifs d’utilisation ainsi que les antécédents de coercition sexuelle présentent à la fois une capacité discriminante et prédictive de l’UPPL chez les femmes et les hommes.
Hypersexuality is a disorder characterized by repetitive sexual experiences and
fantasies, associated with a sense of loss of control, distress, and adverse effects on an
individual’s bio-psycho-social functioning (Kafka, 2001). Hypersexual behavior most
often includes masturbation (autoeroticism), entering into sexual relations with
strangers (promiscuity, paid sex) or using the Internet and virtual reality for sexual
purposes (cybersex) (Habrat et al. 2012).
The primary aim of this study is to determine if a statistical relationship exists
between attachment styles in close relationships and hypersexuality. A secondary aim of
this study is to bring to light previously unknown factors which also affect the
development of hypersexual disorder. This work assumes that hypersexual individuals
are characterized by a more insecure attachment style and lack of personality integration
compared to the non-hypersexual group. To validate that assumption, the attachment
style variable was examined using the Experiences in Close Relationships -
Relationship Structures scale (Fraley et al. 2011), and its Polish adaptation (Marszał,
2015). This work compares the attachment styles of healthy and hypersexual people.
This work also explores potential cultural differences in the developed attachment styles
by comparing relevant data from Polish and US American study participants. The
influence of the borderline personality disorder on the intensity of reported
hypersexuality symptoms was also examined. A statistical comparison between a group
of hypersexual individuals and a control group indicates that hypersexual people are
characterized by a more insecure attachment style on two fronts. First, that hypersexual
individuals demonstrate higher avoidance of closeness and fear of abandonment scores
in relationship with their mothers, compared to control group. Second, that hypersexual
individuals demonstrate a stronger avoidance of closeness in relationship with their
fathers when compared to individuals from control group. A statistical analysis is
presented that indicates a weak positive correlation between avoiding closeness and fear
of abandonment in maternal relationships with the total hypersexuality score as well as
all its subscales. The analysis also shows a weak positive correlation between avoiding
closeness in the relationship with the partner and total hypersexuality score, as well as
two subscales of hypersexuality: accompanying factors, and negative impact on the
mood. The study demonstrates that borderline personality disorder is a key factor in
explaining hypersexuality as it allows to explain 52% of the variance of this disorder.
Sztobryn, Adrian (2018). Hypersexuality and attachment styles in men. Master's thesis
under the supervision of prof. dr. hab. Lidia Cierpiałkowska. Poznań, Institute of
Psychology, Adam Mickiewicz University, 113 pp., 130 bibl. items, 8 attachments.
Keywords: hypersexuality, attachment styles, sex addiction, compulsive sexual
behaviors, borderline personality disorder
Sajberprostor je pravo magično pozorište. Možete bolje upoznati svoju ‘takozvanu ličnost’ i igrati sa figurama koje nemaju mnogo prilika da se pojave pod svetlima oflajn pozornica. Možete upoznavati ljude iz različitih krajeva sveta, a da se fizički ne pomerite iz sobe. Pratićete, manje ili više svesno, reakcije publike, i na dešavanja u kojima učestvujete, i na ona u kojima niste akter. Možete pretraživati mora informacija, učiti i zabaviti se, prikazivati svoje umotvorine i rukotvorine, gledati šta rade, znaju i mogu drugi, a možete biti i dezinformisani, zavedeni, maltretirani i opljačkani. Koje predstave će se odigravati na vašim digitalnim daskama umnogome zavisi od toga kako koristite magično pozorište, u koje se danas najčešće ulazi pomoću laganog, prenosivog uređaja koji imaju i od kojeg se ne odvajaju gotovo svi ljudi. Ne morate čekati da se pojave treperava svetla – ona će zaigrati u vašoj ruci kada god poželite (a i mimo vaših želja). Jednostavno pritisnete neki od malih šarenih kvadrata na svom svetlećem ekranu i eto vas – u magičnom pozorištu sajberprostora. Ulaz je tako dostupan svima i u svako doba, mada bi neki ljudi, možda, bili srećniji da nije.
This study explored the psychometric properties of the Online Sexual Addiction Questionnaire (OSA-Q). In total, 100 sexual offenders completed the OSA-Q Spanish version, along with the Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory-III (MCMI-III) for the assessment of related impairment. Thirty-four individuals with social-desirability bias were extracted from the sample. A four-factor structure accounted for 77% of the variance and internal consistency was strong (α = .97). Additionally, correlations with related clinical scales were statistically significant. Overall, online sexual offenders showed higher scores on the OSA-Q than contact-exclusive offenders. According to our results, the OSA-Q shows promise as a screening in forensic samples.
Excessive problematic sexual behavior in the form of compulsive sexual behavior disorder (CSBD), hypersexuality (HS), and sex addiction has gained increasing credibility in recent years and has led to the development of various psychometric instruments to assess such behavior. However, there is still considerable controversy over the operational definition of such concepts and whether they can be used interchangeably to describe the behavior. One recently developed tool is the Bergen–Yale Sex Addiction Scale (BYSAS) based on the “components model of addiction.” The present study validated the Italian version of the BYSAS. The BYSAS was administered to a large Italian-speaking sample of Italian adults [ N = 1230, aged 18 to 67 years] along with psychometric instruments assessing the “Big Five” personality traits, self-esteem, depression, and two other measures of addictive sexual behavior (i.e., PATHOS and Shorter PROMIS Questionnaire–Sex Subscale). Confirmatory factorial analysis supported a one-factor solution. Furthermore, the scale had good internal consistency (Cronbach’s α = 0.787). The BYSAS was positively associated with extroversion, openness to experience, depression, and problematic sexual behavior, and negatively associated with self-esteem, conscientiousness, emotional stability, agreeableness, and age. Based on the findings, the BYSAS is a brief, psychometrically reliable and valid measure for assessing sex addiction among Italian adults.
Emotion dysregulation and intimacy problems are theoretically underpinned correlates of hypersexuality (i.e., uncontrollable sexual urges, fantasies, and behaviors resulting in distress and impairment in different areas of functioning), but the directionality of these associations has not been established, as work in this area has relied on cross-sectional designs. Moreover, although hypersexuality may have significant adverse effects on romantic relationships and approximately half of treatment-seeking individuals are in a relationship, prior studies almost exclusively involved samples of men, regardless of their relationship status. The aim of the present study was to examine the directionality of associations between both partners' emotion dysregulation, physical (i.e., partnered sexual frequency) and relationship intimacy, and hypersexuality using a longitudinal, dyadic framework. Self-reported data of 267 mixed-sex couples (Mage_men = 29.9 years, SD = 8.2; Mage_women = 27.7 years, SD = 6.7) at baseline (T1) and six-month follow-up (T2) were analyzed using a crossed-lagged model within an actor-partner interdependence framework. Prior greater emotion dysregulation (T1) in both men and women was associated with their own later greater hypersexuality (T2). Women's prior greater hypersexuality (T1) was associated with their later lower relationship intimacy (T2). Lower levels of intimacy were not significantly associated with later hypersexuality. No partner effects were found in relation to hypersexuality. Findings suggest that men and women may use sexual behaviors to cope with negative emotions, which could, in turn, lead to hypersexuality. Intimacy problems did not precede hypersexuality, although women's hypersexuality may reduce their own relationship intimacy over time.
RESUMEN El consumo de pornografía y sus posibles consecuencias sigue siendo objeto de debate en el ámbito científico. Diversos estudios muestran que puede producir consecuencias perjudiciales en la personas como: facilitar las conductas agresivas en el ámbito sexual, favorecer los estereotipos de género y roles sexuales, tratar a la mujer como un objeto, fomentar la promiscuidad, generar problemas familiares y en el matrimonio y/o producir disfunciones sexuales. En contraposición, existen estudios que indican posibles efectos positivos del consumo de pornografía, como inducir la cercanía en la pareja o aumentar la autoestima sexual. Además, investigaciones recientes, proponen que la pornografía por sí sola no sería suficiente para generar una conducta problemática, sino que serían necesarias otras variables como la presencia de síntomas depresivos o de ansiedad, la baja autoestima, emociones como aburrimiento o susceptibilidad, las necesidades psicológicas básicas no cubiertas, los estilos de apego, las características de personalidad o la incomodidad respecto a la pornografía, lo que explicarían dichas consecuencias. Debido a los resultados inconcluyentes en el ámbito clínico a este respecto se revisan las diversas investigaciones publicadas hasta la fecha y se proponen ámbitos de crecimiento para mejorar el abordaje y comprensión de este fenómeno en la realidad clínica.
Amaç: Bu çalışmada Sağlık Bilimleri Yüksekokulunda okuyan öğrencilerin cinsel mitler ile ilgili düşüncelerini değerlendirmek amaçlanmıştır.Yöntem: Çalışma bir vakıf üniversitesinde öğrenim gören 325 öğrenci ile yüz yüze görüşerek gerçekleştirilmiştir. Araştırmanın verileri “Tanıtıcı Bilgi Formu” ve “Cinsel Mitler Ölçeği” kullanılarak toplanmıştır. Verilerin analizinde tanımlayıcı istatistikler, Mann-Whitney U Testi, Kruskal-Wallis Testi ve Spearman rho korelasyon testi kullanılmıştır.Bulgular: Çalışmaya katılan öğrencilerin %69,5’inin kadın ve %97,5’inin bekâr olduğu, %69,8’inin şehirde yaşadığı belirlenmiştir. Ailesi Doğu Anadolu Bölgesi’nde yaşayan öğrencilerin cinsel yönelim ve mastürbasyon alt boyut puan ortalamaları anlamlı olarak yüksek bulunmuştur. Erkeklerin cinsel yönelim, toplumsal cinsiyet, yaş ve cinsellik, cinsel davranış, cinsel ilişki, cinsel memnuniyet alt boyut puan ortalamaları ve toplam cinsel mitler puanı kadınlara göre istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bulunmuştur (p<0,05). Evlilik öncesi cinsel deneyim yaşanmasını uygun bulmayan öğrencilerin cinsel yönelim, mastürbasyon ve cinsel şiddet alt boyut puan ortalamaları ve toplam cinsel mitler puan ortalamaları evlilik öncesi cinsel deneyimi uygun bulan öğrencilere göre anlamlı olarak daha yüksek bulunmuştur.Sonuç: Erkeklerin cinsel mitlere inanma düzeyi kadınlardan fazladır. Bireyin ailesinin yaşadığı coğrafi bölge cinsel mitlere inanma durumunu etkilemektedir. Cinsel bilgilerin topluma doğru aktarılması amacıyla düzenlenen cinsel sağlık eğitimleri planlanırken kültürel ve coğrafi farklılıklar göz önünde bulundurulmalıdır.
Depuis l’apparition et le développement d’Internet, de nombreux sites à caractère sexuel ont vu le jour et sont utilisés par de multiples usagers. Une partie de ces utilisateurs présentent une utilisation problématique de cybersexualité et développent des comportements sexuels en ligne de nature excessive et/ou addictive. Un champ de recherche focalisé sur cette population a récemment émergé, notamment afin d’identifier les facteurs de risques impliqués et les processus psychologiques sous-jacents. Cependant, ces facteurs sont souvent étudiés isolement, ne permettant pas d’aboutir à une description exhaustive et intégrée de ce comportement problématique multi-déterminé. L’objectif central du présent article est dès lors de proposer, sur base de la littérature existante, un modèle intégratif et processuel des facteurs psychologiques impliqués dans l’utilisation problématique de cybersexualité et ce, afin de permettre d’une part de structurer les recherches futures sur la thématique en ciblant les processus centralement impliqués, et d’autre part de mieux évaluer et prendre en charge, en contexte clinique, les personnes présentant ce type de problématique.
Increased internet access has been accompanied by increased numbers of adolescent and adult men viewing online pornography, and there is growing concern about how this may affect their sexual development, sexual function, mental health and intimate relationships. This paper briefly reviews men's relationship with porn and the possible impact on sexual function.
The goal of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties of a French version of the short Internet Addiction Test adapted to online sexual activities (s-IAT-sex). The French version of the s-IAT-sex was administered to a sample of 401 men. The participants also completed a questionnaire that screened for sexual addiction (PATHOS). The relationships of s-IAT-sex scores with time spent online for online sexual activities (OSAs) and the types of OSAs favored were also considered. Confirmatory analyses supported a 2-factor model of the s-IAT-sex, corresponding to the factorial structure found in earlier studies that used the short IAT. The first factor regroups loss of control and time management, whereas the second factor regroups craving and social problems. Internal consistency for each factor was evaluated with Cronbach’s coefficient, resulting in .87 for Factor 1, .76 for Factor 2, and .88 for the global scale. Concurrent validity was supported by relationships with symptoms of sexual addiction, types of OSAs practiced, and time spent online for OSAs. The prevalence of sexual addiction (measured by PATHOS) was 28.1% in the current sample of self-selected male OSA users. The French version of the s-IAT-sex presents good psychometric properties and constitutes a useful tool for researchers and practitioners.
Background and aims: Cybersex addiction is discussed controversially, while empirical evidence is widely missing. With respect to its mechanisms of development and maintenance Brand et al. (2011) assume that reinforcement due to cybersex should lead to the development of cue-reactivity and craving explaining recurrent cybersex use in the face of growing but neglected negative consequences. To support this hypothesis, two experimental studies were conducted. Methods: In a cue-reactivity paradigm 100 pornographic cues were presented to participants and indicators of sexual arousal and craving were assessed. The first study aimed at identifying predictors of cybersex addiction in a freely recruited sample of 171 heterosexual males. The aim of the second study was to verify the findings of the first study by comparing healthy (n = 25) and problematic (n = 25) cybersex users. Results: The results show that indicators of sexual arousal and craving to Internet pornographic cues predicted tendencies towards cybersex addiction in the first study. Moreover, it was shown that problematic cybersex users report greater sexual arousal and craving reactions resulting from pornographic cue presentation. In both studies, the number and subjective quality of real-life sexual contacts were not associated to cybersex addiction. Discussion: The results support the gratification hypothesis, which assumes reinforcement, learning mechanisms, and craving to be relevant processes in the development and maintenance of cybersex addiction. Poor or unsatisfying sexual real-life contacts cannot sufficiently explain cybersex addiction. Conclusions: Positive reinforcement in terms of gratification plays a major role in cybersex addiction.
While addictions to substances such as alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs have been extensively investigated, interest has been growing in potential non-substance-related addictive behaviors (e.g., excessive gambling, buying or playing video games). In the current study, we sought to determine the prevalence and characteristics of a wide range of addictive behaviors in a general population sample and to identify reliable subgroups of individuals displaying addictive behaviors.
Seven hundred seventy participants completed an online survey. The survey screened for the presence and characteristics of the main recognized substance and behavioral addictions (alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, other drugs, gambling, compulsive shopping, intensive exercise, Internet and mobile phone overuse, intensive work involvement, and overeating) in a three-month period. Key aspects of addiction were measured for each reported behavior, including negative outcomes, emotional triggers (positive and negative emotional contexts), search for stimulation or pleasure, loss of control, and cognitive salience.
Latent class analysis allowed us to identify three theoretically and clinically relevant subgroups of individuals. The first class groups problematic users, i.e., addiction-prone individuals. The second class groups at-risk users who frequently engage in potentially addictive behaviors to regulate emotional states (especially overinvolvement in common behaviors such as eating, working, or buying). The third class groups individuals who are not prone to addictive behaviors.
The existence of different groups in the population sheds new light on the distinction between problematic and non-problematic addiction-like behaviors.
Background
Behavioral addiction research has been particularly flourishing over the last two decades. However, recent publications have suggested that nearly all daily life activities might lead to a genuine addiction.
Methods and aim
In this article, we discuss how the use of atheoretical and confirmatory research approaches may result in the identification of an unlimited list of “new” behavioral addictions.
Results
Both methodological and theoretical shortcomings of these studies were discussed.
Conclusions
We suggested that studies overpathologizing daily life activities are likely to prompt a dismissive appraisal of behavioral addiction research. Consequently, we proposed several roadmaps for future research in the field, centrally highlighting the need for longer tenable behavioral addiction research that shifts from a mere criteria-based approach toward an approach focusing on the psychological processes involved.
Pornography has become a primary source of sexual education. At the same time, mainstream commercial pornography has coalesced around a relatively homogenous script involving violence and female degradation. Yet, little work has been done exploring the associations between pornography and dyadic sexual encounters: What role does pornography play inside real-world sexual encounters between a man and a woman? Cognitive script theory argues media scripts create a readily accessible heuristic model for decision-making. The more a user watches a particular media script, the more embedded those codes of behavior become in their worldview and the more likely they are to use those scripts to act upon real life experiences. We argue pornography creates a sexual script that then guides sexual experiences. To test this, we surveyed 487 college men (ages 18-29 years) in the United States to compare their rate of pornography use with sexual preferences and concerns. Results showed the more pornography a man watches, the more likely he was to use it during sex, request particular pornographic sex acts of his partner, deliberately conjure images of pornography during sex to maintain arousal, and have concerns over his own sexual performance and body image. Further, higher pornography use was negatively associated with enjoying sexually intimate behaviors with a partner. We conclude that pornography provides a powerful heuristic model which is implicated in men's expectations and behaviors during sexual encounters.
L’objectif du présent article est de proposer une recension des connaissances actuelles sur la dépendance
cybersexuelle (définition, épidémiologie, évaluation et traitement). Il existe en effet un manque de
consensus concernant la conceptualisation de ce trouble. Ce flou conceptuel est notamment imputable a`
l’existence d’une multitude de définitions du trouble, d’une importante variété des conduites sexuelles
concernées et des symptomatologies, et de problèmes méthodologiques dans les études existantes
(échantillons et outils d’évaluation fortement hétérogènes dans les différentes études). Dans un tel
contexte, notre article vise a` clarifier l’état des connaissances sur la cyberdépendance sexuelle. Nous
ferons également un état des lieux des modalités de traitements empiriquement validés de la dépendance
sexuelle et cybersexuelle, et proposerons des pistes pour les études futures. Une revue narrative non
systématique a été réalisée afin d’examiner et de résumer la littérature anglophone et francophone portant
sur la dépendance cybersexuelle. Cette revue a été effectuée au moyen de mots-clés désignant la
dépendance sexuelle et cybersexuelle dans les bases de données PsycINFO, ISI Web of Science et
Francis. Une attention particulière a été portée aux articles évaluant les facteurs de risques impliqués dans
la dépendance sexuelle, ainsi qu’a` ceux proposant des pistes de traitement du trouble.
IntroductionAlthough several theories and treatment plans use unusual sexual fantasies (SF) as a way to identify deviancy, they seldom describe how the fantasies referred to were determined to be unusual.AimThe main goal of this study was to determine which SF are rare, unusual, common, or typical from a statistical point of view among a relatively large sample of adults recruited from the general population. A secondary goal was to provide a statistical comparison of the nature and intensity of sexual fantasies for men and women. This study also aims at demonstrating with both quantitative and qualitative analyses that certain fantasies often considered to be unusual are common.Methods
An Internet survey was conducted with 1,516 adults (799 ♀; 717 ♂) who ranked 55 different SF and wrote their own favorite SF. Each SF was rated as statistically rare (2.3% or less), unusual (15.9% or less), common (more than 50%), or typical (more than 84.1% of the sample).Main Outcome MeasuresAn extended version of the Wilson's Sex Fantasy Questionnaire with an open question.ResultsOnly two sexual fantasies were found to be rare for women or men, while nine others were unusual. Thirty sexual fantasies were common for one or both genders, and only five were typical. These results were confirmed with qualitative analyses. Submission and domination themes were not only common for both men and women, but they were also significantly related to each other. Moreover, the presence of a single submissive fantasy was a significant predictor of overall scores for all SF in both genders.Conclusion
Care should be taken before labeling an SF as unusual, let alone deviant. It suggested that the focus should be on the effect of a sexual fantasy rather than its content. Joyal CC, Cossette A, and Lapierre V. What exactly is an unusual sexual fantasy? J Sex Med **;**:**–**.
Background:
The number of medical studies performed through online surveys has increased dramatically in recent years. Despite their numerous advantages (eg, sample size, facilitated access to individuals presenting stigmatizing issues), selection bias may exist in online surveys. However, evidence on the representativeness of self-selected samples in online studies is patchy.
Objective:
Our objective was to explore the representativeness of a self-selected sample of online gamers using online players' virtual characters (avatars).
Methods:
All avatars belonged to individuals playing World of Warcraft (WoW), currently the most widely used online game. Avatars' characteristics were defined using various games' scores, reported on the WoW's official website, and two self-selected samples from previous studies were compared with a randomly selected sample of avatars.
Results:
We used scores linked to 1240 avatars (762 from the self-selected samples and 478 from the random sample). The two self-selected samples of avatars had higher scores on most of the assessed variables (except for guild membership and exploration). Furthermore, some guilds were overrepresented in the self-selected samples.
Conclusions:
Our results suggest that more proficient players or players more involved in the game may be more likely to participate in online surveys. Caution is needed in the interpretation of studies based on online surveys that used a self-selection recruitment procedure. Epidemiological evidence on the reduced representativeness of sample of online surveys is warranted.
In this study, we explored sexual compulsivity in a non-clinical, non-student, convenience sample of 1,301 heterosexual, married adults (240 women, 1,061 men). To situate our sample within the body of research on sexual compulsivity, we compared current participants’ scores on the Sexual Compulsivity Scale (SCS) with those reported in other studies conducted over the last decade. Scores for the current sample were largely similar to those found in other studies. We also investigated whether sexual excitation and sexual inhibition, constructs in the dual control model of sexual response, would be useful in explaining differences in men's and women's sexual compulsivity. Higher Arousability scores (a subscale of sexual excitation) and lower Relationship Importance scores (a subscale of sexual inhibition) were associated with higher levels of sexual compulsivity for both men and women. Gender moderated the association between Inhibitory Cognitions (a subscale of sexual inhibition) and sexual compulsivity; greater inhibition was associated with higher sexual compulsivity for men, but not for women. The importance of assessing SCS in samples not considered “high risk” and the utility of applying a sexual inhibition/excitation framework to understanding sexual compulsivity are discussed.
Previous research has found that a significant proportion of individuals who use Internet pornography (IP) report that their use is problematic in some area of functioning. Problematic IP use has been conceptualized as an aspect of sexual addiction and as having components of impulsivity and compulsivity. Experiential avoidance also has been implicated in problematic IP use. The current study further examined the relationship between problematic IP use and these variables. Participants (N = 94), who were categorized as having problematic or nonproblematic IP use based on their responses to four questions, completed an online survey regarding their use of IP. Results indicated that there were significant differences between individuals with and without problematic IP use in hours of IP used per week, sexual compulsivity, amount of interference from sexual urges, experiential avoidance, and negative and positive effects of IP use. Results from the current study help clarify conceptualizations of problematic IP use, and implications for treatment are suggested. (Contains 4 tables.)
Internet addiction is a rapidly growing field of research, receiving attention from researchers, journalists and policy makers. Despite much empirical data being collected and analyzed clear results and conclusions are surprisingly absent. This paper argues that conceptual issues and methodological shortcomings surrounding internet addiction research have made theoretical development difficult. An alternative model termed compensatory internet use is presented in an attempt to properly theorize the frequent assumption that people go online to escape real life issues or alleviate dysphoric moods and that this sometimes leads to negative outcomes. An empirical approach to studying compensatory internet use is suggested by combining the psychological literature on internet addiction with research on motivations for internet use. The theoretical argument is that by understanding how motivations mediate the relationship between psychosocial well-being and internet addiction, we can draw conclusions about how online activities may compensate for psychosocial problems. This could help explain why some people keep spending so much time online despite experiencing negative outcomes. There is also a methodological argument suggesting that in order to accomplish this, research needs to move away from a focus on direct effects models and consider mediation and interaction effects between psychosocial well-being and motivations in the context of internet addiction. This is key to further exploring the notion of internet use as a coping strategy; a proposition often mentioned but rarely investigated.
Sexual addiction, which is also known as hypersexual disorder, has largely been ignored by psychiatrists, even though the condition causes serious psychosocial problems for many people. A lack of empirical evidence on sexual addiction is the result of the disease's complete absence from versions of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. However, people who were categorized as having a compulsive, impulsive, addictive sexual disorder or a hypersexual disorder reported having obsessive thoughts and behaviors as well as sexual fantasies. Existing prevalence rates of sexual addiction-related disorders range from 3% to 6%. Sexual addiction/hypersexual disorder is used as an umbrella construct to encompass various types of problematic behaviors, including excessive masturbation, cybersex, pornography use, sexual behavior with consenting adults, telephone sex, strip club visitation, and other behaviors. The adverse consequences of sexual addiction are similar to the consequences of other addictive disorders. Addictive, somatic and psychiatric disorders coexist with sexual addiction. In recent years, research on sexual addiction has proliferated, and screening instruments have increasingly been developed to diagnose or quantify sexual addiction disorders. In our systematic review of the existing measures, 22 questionnaires were identified. As with other behavioral addictions, the appropriate treatment of sexual addiction should combine pharmacological and psychological approaches. Psychiatric and somatic comorbidities that frequently occur with sexual addiction should be integrated into the therapeutic process. Group-based treatments should also be attempted.
This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of those who engage in online sexual activities and who are sexually compulsive according to the Kalichman sexual compulsivity scale. It also aimed to investigate if online sexual activities had changed the sexually compulsive respondents' offline sexual behaviors, such as reading adult magazines, viewing adult movies, and/or having casual sex partners. Data were collected in 2002 through an online questionnaire in Swedish, which was administered via the Swedish portal Passagen.se. Approximately 6% of the 1458 respondents who answered the 10-item sexual compulsivity scale were defined as sexually compulsive. A multivariate regression analysis showed sexually compulsives more likely to be men, to live in a relationship, to be bisexual, and to have had an STI. The time spent online for sexual purposes was found to be a measure of the kind of sexual activity rather than a measure of online sexual compulsivity. A bivariate analysis of nominal data showed that engagement in online sexual activities made respondents quit, decrease, maintain or increase their offline sexual behaviors. Sexual compulsive respondents were found to increase their offline pornography consumption to a greater extent than did non-sexually compulsives.
Internet pornography viewing is common among college-aged males, but it is unclear whether and for whom such viewing is problematic. One potential process that may account for whether viewing is problematic is experiential avoidance: seeking to reduce the form, frequency, or situational sensitivity of private experiences even when doing so causes behavioral harm. The current study examined the relationship of Internet pornography viewing and experiential avoidance to a range of psychosocial problems (depression, anxiety, stress, social functioning, and problems related to viewing) through a cross-sectional online survey conducted with a non-clinical sample of 157 undergraduate college males. Results indicated that frequency of viewing was significantly related to each psychosocial variable, such that more viewing was related to greater problems. Furthermore, experiential avoidance moderated the relationship between viewing and two psychosocial variables, such that viewing predicted anxiety and problems related to viewing only among those participants with clinical levels of experiential avoidance. These results are discussed in the context of research on experiential avoidance and treatment approaches that target this process.
In this study of online sexual activity (OSA), a small subgroup (6.48%) of males self-identified as having online sexual problems (OSP) as a result of their online sexual behavior. There were only minor demographic differences between the OSP and the non-OSP groups. However there were a number of items that did differentiate these two groups (hours online, reasons for engaging in OSA, etc.) and these were elucidated. The research finds that most people who engage in OSA do not show evidence of problems as a result of their usage, yet at the same time there are a significant minority who do indeed report averse consequences. It is hoped that having a better understanding of the differences between these two groups will help clinicians and researchers interested in identifying variables for assessment, treatment, and prevention of OSP.
The nature and frequency of men's and women's sexual fantasies were investigated by surveying 307 students (182 females, 125 males) at a California state university or junior college via a paper‐and‐pencil questionnaire. The questionnnaire was inspired by modern evolutionary theory and was designed to investigate sex differences in sexual fantasies. Substantial sex differences were found in the salience of visual images, touching, context, personalization, emotion, partner variety, partner response, fantasizer response, and inward versus outward focus. These data, the scientific literature on sexual fantasy, the historically‐stable contrasts between male‐oriented pornography and female‐oriented romance novels, the ethnographic record of human sexuality, and the ineluctable implications of an evolutionary perspective on our species, taken together, imply the existence of profound sex differences in sexual psychologies.
In a companion study to onepreviouslypublished on the effects of cybersex addiction on the family, a new, brief online survey was completed by 45 men and 10 women, aged 1 6 4 4 (mean, 38.7) who self-identified as cybersex participants who had experienced adverse consequences from their online sexual activities. Nearly all the respondents (92% of the men and 90% of the women) self-iden-tified as current or former sex addicts.
Sign flcantly more men than women reported downloading pornography as a preferred activity. As in previous studies on gender differences in sexual activities, the women tended toprefer sex within the context of a relationship or at least e-mail or chat room interactions rather than accessing images. However, in the present small sample, several women were visually-oriented consumers of pornography. Two women with noprior histo y of interest in sadomasochistic sex discovered this type of behavior online and came toprefer it. Although a similarproportion of men (27%) and women (30%) engaged in real-tame online sex with another person, significantly more women than men (80% vs. 33.3%) stated that their online sexual activities had led to real-life sexual encounters.
Some respondents described a rapid progression of a previously existing compulsive sexual behavior problem, whereas others had no history of sexual addiction but became rapidly involved in an escalating pattern of compulsive cybersex use after they discovered Internet sex. Adverse consequences included depression and other emotionalproblems, social isolation, worsening of their sexual relationship with spouse or partner, harm done to tbeir marriage or primary relationship, exposure of children to onlinepornography or masturbation, career loss or decreased job performance, other financial consequences, and in some cases, legal consequences.
Although some therapists the participants consulted were very helpful, others were uninformed about the nature and extent of sexual activities available online and reportedly (1) minimized the significance of the cybersex behavior and did not accept it for the powerful addiction it was, (2) failed to make it a priority to stop illegal or self-destructive behaviors, and (3) did not consider the effect oj-the cybersex involvement on the spouse orpartner.
This article focused on a selected random sample of over 7,000 in-dividuals who responded to a survey regarding online sexual activ-ity. Results helped identify potential problem areas for online sexual compulsives and at-risk users. These results provided descriptions of activities that could lead to problematic behavior in three areas: obsession, compulsion, and consequences. In addition, specific re-sults were highlighted by gender differences, and types of cybersex users. As a descriptive article, the results of this study help us un-derstand who online sexual activity users are and how they might experience problems related to their behaviors. There is no medium more globally accessible than the Internet. Nielsen Ne-tratings (2001) estimated that 158 million users have access to the Internet in over 120 different countries. The United States Department of Commerce (2001) reported that 51% of all U.S. households have personal computers, nearly a 20% increase since 1998. Households with Internet access increased nearly 60% in two years. Computer and Internet growth surprised analysts as it spread to more households and families than ever predicted. Thomas Watson, Chairman of IBM in 1943 was quoted as saying, "I think there is a world market for maybe five computers." Ken Olson, President and Founder of DEC was quoted in 1977 as saying, "There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their Address correspondence to David L.
This is the first large-scale study of Internet sexuality conducted outside the USA. The questionnaire was administered in the Swedish language and utilized responses from one of the most popular portals (Passagen) in Sweden. Responses from 3,614 people were analysed, with a gender distribution of 55% males and 45% females. This is exactly the same percentages as found in the overall use of the Internet in Sweden (Nielsen/Net Ratings, January, 2002) and participation by females allowed for a more detailed examination of their involvement in online sexual activities. A factor analysis found that there were two major and coherent factors that accounted for over one-third of the variance for all participants. These were called 'Seeking partners', and 'Accessing erotica'. The article details several ways these factors were influenced by gender and age. These results also provided corroboration for several important patterns of OSA reported in earlier studies. Sweden might be an especially fortuitous place to do this type of research as the pervasiveness and acceptance of Internet usage is higher than in the USA, and among the highest in the world. It was postulated that these findings might provide an indication of how OSA might evolve in other societies as their populations increasingly spend time online.
Path analysis was used to assess the contribution of four exogenous developmental variables (sexual abuse, physical abuse,
exposure to violence, exposure to pornography—each occurring prior to age 13) and four personality constructs (“psychopathic
and antagonistic attitudes,” “psychosocial deficits,” “pedophilia,” “hostile masculinity”) to the prediction of non-sexual
delinquency and number of male child victims in a sample of 256 adolescent males with a history of “hands-on” sexual offending.
“Psychosocial deficits” was found to partially mediate the effects of the exogenous variables on both outcomes. Exposure to
violence both directly, and indirectly through “psychopathic and antagonistic attitudes,” contributed to the prediction of
non-sexual delinquency. Sexual abuse by a male directly, and indirectly through “hostile masculinity” and “pedophila”, contributed
to prediction of number of male child victims. Clinical implications of the findings are discussed.
The content and prevalence of problematic Internet sexual use was investigated in a sample of 1,913 Internet-recruited younger Swedish men and women. Five items as part of a larger Internet sexual use study addressed problems associated with it, control, dysphoria, feeling "addicted," and feeling the need for treatment. The resulting scale of Internet sexual problems indicated that 5% of women and 13% of men reported some problems, with 2% of women and 5% of men indicating serious problems across the five items. Of five predictors of problematic use, three were significant: religiosity, having negative experiences with Internet sexual use, and frequency of pornography viewing. The viewing and sharing of pornography was most closely associated with reported problems. Data also suggested that having some very specific pornographic content interests were associated with an increase in reported problems. While these data were limited by the non-random nature of the sample, they suggest that Internet sexual problems are measurable, are a subset of Internet addiction with sexual content, and affect a small but significant proportion of the Internet-using population.
Some researchers have illustrated how the Internet can provide users with an ideal atmosphere to explore sexuality; however, most have stressed the Internet's negative impact on intimate relationships. Notably, much of this research has focused on the small minority of men who compulsively engage in online sexual activities (OSA), overlooking the majority of men and women who use OSA recreationally (either individually or with a partner). Addressing these limitations, data on heterosexual adults in committed relationships were taken from the 2004 "ELLE/msnbc.com Cyber-sex and Romance Survey" (n = 8,376). In quantitative analyses, men were less likely than women to express concerns and more likely to hold favorable attitudes about their partner's OSA. With regard to the impact of OSA on intimate relationships, men and women did not differ in becoming "more open to new things," and finding it easier "to talk about what [they] want sexually." Negative impacts were also identified, with women more likely to indicate they had less sex as a result of a partner's OSA, and men more likely to indicate they were less aroused by real sex as a result of their own OSA. Generally, qualitative results mirrored quantitative ones. Additionally, qualitative data suggested that moderate or light amounts of OSA yield relationship benefits for both female and male users, including increases in the quality and frequency of sex, and increased intimacy with real partners. In addition, men who used the Internet moderately, and men and women who reported being light users, stated that engaging in tandem OSA fostered better sexual communication with partners. Findings underscore the need to explore further the impact that online sexual activities can have on real-life committed relationships.
Hypersexual Disorder is proposed as a new psychiatric disorder for consideration in the Sexual Disorders section for DSM-V. Historical precedents describing hypersexual behaviors as well as the antecedent representations and proposals for inclusion of such a condition in the previous DSM manuals are reviewed. Epidemiological as well as clinical evidence is presented suggesting that non-paraphilic "excesses" of sexual behavior (i.e., hypersexual behaviors and disorders) can be accompanied by both clinically significant personal distress and social and medical morbidity. The research literature describing comorbid Axis I and Axis II psychiatric disorders and a purported relationship between Axis I disorders and Hypersexual Disorder is discussed. Based on an extensive review of the literature, Hypersexual Disorder is conceptualized as primarily a nonparaphilic sexual desire disorder with an impulsivity component. Specific polythetic diagnostic criteria, as well as behavioral specifiers, are proposed, intended to integrate empirically based contributions from various putative pathophysiological perspectives, including dysregulation of sexual arousal and desire, sexual impulsivity, sexual addiction, and sexual compulsivity.
To investigate consumption of and attitudes toward pornography in relation to demographic factors and relationships to parents among third-year high school students.
A random sample of 718 students with a mean age 18 years (range 17-21) completed a classroom questionnaire consisting of 89 questions.
More students in practical than in theoretical study programmes had parents with a practical profession (p < 0.001). More parents to students attending theoretical programmes owned their housing (p < 0.001). More men than women had ever consumed pornography (98% vs. 72%; p < 0.001). More practical than theoretical students were influenced by watching pornographic films, fantasizing about (p < 0.05) or having performed acts inspired by pornography (p < 0.05). Both theoretical and practical male students had more favourable attitudes toward pornography than either group of female students (p < 0.001; p = 0.037). More female, than male students, were of the opinion that pornography could create uncertainty and demands.
Students' high school programme choices partly reflect their social background. Pornography was consumed mainly by male students, who also had the most favourable attitudes, while females mainly had negative attitudes. To promote sexual health these differences between genders and study programmes should be taken into consideration in counselling, and in sex- and relationships education.
The implications of a functionalist perspective for understanding sexual risk taking are explored. Key motivational dimensions thought to underlie human behavior (viz., approach vs. avoidance, autonomy vs. relatedness) were used to identify 4 broad domains of sexual motivations and to develop a measure of specific motives within each of these domains. Data from both college student and community samples are used to demonstrate the psychometric adequacy of these scales and to show that having sex for different reasons predicts distinctive patterns of sexual risk taking both cross-sectionally and longitudinally: that selection into specific types of sexual relationships partially mediates these effects; and that these needs may be differentially expressed, or even suppressed, depending on relationship context. Results provide strong support for the functionalist perspective on behavior and indicate that an adequate understanding of sexual risk-taking behavior must take into account the various needs and goals that such behavior can serve.
Transmission of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is associated with unprotected sex among multiple anonymous sex partners. The role of the Internet in risk of STDs is not known.
To compare risk of STD transmission for persons who seek sex partners on the Internet with risk for persons not seeking sex partners on the Internet.
Cross-sectional survey conducted September 1999 through April 2000.
A total of 856 clients of the Denver Public Health HIV Counseling and Testing Site in Colorado.
Self-report of logging on to the Internet with the intention of finding sex partners; having sex with partners who were originally contacted via the Internet; number of such partners and use of condoms with them; and time since last sexual contact with Internet partners, linked to HIV risk assessment and test records.
Of the 856 clients, most were white (77. 8%), men (69.2%), heterosexual (65.3%), and aged 20 to 50 years (84. 1%). Of those, 135 (15.8%) had sought sex partners on the Internet, and 88 (65.2%) of these reported having sex with a partner initially met via the Internet. Of those with Internet partners, 34 (38.7%) had 4 or more such partners, with 62 (71.2%) of contacts occurring within 6 months prior to the client's HIV test. Internet sex seekers were more likely to be men (P<.001) and homosexual (P<.001) than those not seeking sex via the Internet. Internet sex seekers reported more previous STDs (P =.02); more partners (P<.001); more anal sex (P<.001); and more sexual exposure to men (P<.001), men who have sex with men (P<.001), and partners known to be HIV positive (P<.001) than those not seeking sex via the Internet.
Seeking sex partners via the Internet was a relatively common practice in this sample of persons seeking HIV testing and counseling (representative of neither Denver nor the overall US population). Clients who seek sex using the Internet appear to be at greater risk for STDs than clients who do not seek sex on the Internet. JAMA. 2000;284:443-446
A large study (N = 7,037) was conducted through the MSNBC website during June 2000 to explore the general profile of people who engage in online sexual activity (OSA) as well as gender differences in OSA. The study explored ways in which the Internet is used for sexual activities, reasons for engaging in OSA, and consequences of use. The study found a relationship between use of OSA and its consequences in users' lives as well as significant gender differences in user profiles. Significant gender differences were found in reasons respondents gave for engaging in OSA and OSA-related behaviors. Overall, these findings increase our understanding of the user profiles of people who engage in OSA and corroborate gender differences in offline research. Implications for further research are discussed.
We critically review the concepts of sexual addiction, sexual compulsivity, and sexual impulsivity and discuss their theoretical bases. A sample of 31 self-defined sex addicts were assessed by means of interview and questionnaires and compared with a large age-matched control group. A tendency to experience increased sexual interest in states of depression or anxiety was strongly characteristic of the sex addict group. Dissociative experiences were described by 45% of sex addicts and may have some explanatory relevance. Obsessive-compulsive mechanisms may be relevant in some cases, and the addiction concept may prove to be relevant with further research. Overall, results suggested that out of control sexual behavior results from a variety of mechanisms. We propose an alternative theoretical approach to investigating these mechanisms based on the dual control model and recent research on the relation between mood and sexuality.