Perceived addiction to Internet pornography and psychological distress: Examining relationships concurrently and over time

• Published in: Psychology of addictive behaviors Vol. 29; no. 4; p. 1056
• Main Authors: Grubbs, Joshua B, Stauner, Nicholas, Exline, Julie J, Pargament, Kenneth I, Lindberg, Matthew J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.12.2015
• Subjects: Adult; Behavior, Addictive - psychology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Erotica - psychology; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Internet; Male; Stress, Psychological - psychology; Students - psychology; United States; Young Adult; United States
• ISSN: 1939-1501
• DOI: 10.1037/adb0000114

In the United States, Internet pornography use is a common behavior that has risen in popularity in recent years. The present study sought to examine potential relationships between pornography use and well-being, with a particular focus on individual perceptions of pornography use and feelings of addiction. Using a large cross-sectional sample of adults (N = 713), perceived addiction to Internet pornography predicted psychological distress above and beyond pornography use itself and other relevant variables (e.g., socially desirable responding, neuroticism). This model was replicated using a large cross-sectional sample of undergraduates (N = 1,215). Furthermore, a 1-year, longitudinal follow-up with a subset of this sample (N = 106) revealed a relationship between perceived addiction to Internet pornography and psychological distress over time, even when controlling for baseline psychological distress and pornography use. Collectively, these findings suggest that perceived addiction to Internet pornography, but not pornography use itself, is uniquely related to the experience of psychological distress.