Problematic pornography use (PPU) is the inability to control the use of pornography and is considered a form of compulsive sexual behavior. It can have a negative effect on one's life and is an important clinical and social issue. In Japan, there is no assessment tool to measure PPU and very little research has been done. The Problematic Pornography Use Scale is one of the scales assessing the severity of PPU. This study validated a Japanese version of the Problematic Pornography Use Scale (PPUS-J) and examined its psychometric properties in a sample of 1011 individuals through an online survey (502 men, 509 women; M age = 35.9 years, SD = 13.75). The results of the confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the four factors in the original scale were consistent with the factors in the PPUS-J, and strict invariance could be assumed for male and female participants. With regard to reliability, internal consistency indices were appropriate both at the overall and subscale levels for male and female participants. The PPUS-J showed good convergent and divergent validity due to the relationship between the subscales and other measures such as the Sexual Compulsivity Scale. These results demonstrate the validity of the PPUS-J for assessing problematic pornography use in a Japanese sample. Given the paucity of studies conducted in non-Western cultures and on women, this study will be useful in advancing research on PPU across different cultures. Future studies should examine test-retest reliability of the PPUS-J and its use with clinical groups.

BackgroundProblematic pornography use is considered an addictive behavior, which is an important clinical issue. Despite considerable research interest in problematic pornography use worldwide, to the best of our knowledge, there are no extant studies on the subject in Japan. Therefore, despite the fact that many people in Japan use pornography, the difference between problematic and non-problematic users among Japanese people is not known.ObjectiveThis study aimed to identify the characteristics of problematic pornography use among Japanese students, to the best of our knowledge. Specifically, we examined general psychopathological symptoms, sexual compulsivity, depression, anxiety, and low effortful control.MethodsThe participants were 150 college students aged 20–26 years (mean age = 21.5, SD = 1.21, males: n = 86, females: n = 64) at a university in midland Japan. An online questionnaire was administered that included items on pornography usage patterns, impaired control of pornography use, sexual compulsivity, depression, anxiety, and effortful control.ResultsMost men (97%) and approximately one-third of women (35.9%) used pornography at least once in the past month. Some users reported significant daily-life problems due to difficulty in controlling pornography use (5.7%). Participants with impaired control of pornography use had higher depression, anxiety, and sexual compulsivity, and lower effortful control than pornography users without impaired control.ConclusionSome Japanese students reported significant daily-life problems due to impaired control of pornography use. The characteristics of individuals with impaired control are consistent with previous studies. The results of this study suggest that individuals with impaired control may have poor mental health, and that there is need for further research and development of treatment systems to manage this issue in Japan. Further research exploring a more varied sample in Japan is required to effectively examine problematic pornography use.

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