Pornography Use and Psychological Science: A Call for Consideration

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-15-2021

Publication Title

Current Directions in Psychological Science

Volume

30

Issue

1

First page number:

68

Last page number:

75

Abstract

© The Author(s) 2021. Pornography use is both ubiquitous and controversial in developed nations. Although research related to pornography use has flourished in topical and special-interest journals for several decades, much of this work has remained in the periphery of mainstream interests. The current article reviews how pornography use is likely relevant to various domains within psychological science, particularly emphasizing its significance in relationship research, adolescent-development research, and clinical science. Specifically, pornography use is likely salient to research examining both sexual and romantic satisfaction. Additionally, it is also likely relevant to understanding adolescent sexual development, particularly among sexual-minority populations. Finally, a large body of research suggests that pornography use may become problematic, either because of excessive use or moral incongruence about such use, illustrating its salience in clinical psychological science. Collectively, the current research related to pornography use suggests that it is of interest to multiple domains in psychological science and that its effects can range from positive to neutral to negative.

Keywords

Compulsive sexual behavior; Media effects; Pornography; Sexually explicit media; Technology

Disciplines

Psychology | Science and Technology Studies

Language

English

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