Cognitive processes related to problematic pornography use (PPU): A systematic review of experimental studies

Abstract

Highlights Some people experience symptoms derived from pornography viewing. Cognitive processes may be related to the development of Problematic Pornography Use (PPU). We performed a systematic review of 21 studies exploring cognitive processes related to PPU. We identified 4 cognitive processes relevant for the development and maintenance of PPU.

Binge behaviors: Assessment, determinants, and consequences

“…This Special Issue gathers 11 original research and review articles that address different types of binge behaviors: binge drinking ( Deniel et al, 2021 , Gierski et al, 2020 , Herman et al, 2020 , Mange et al, 2021 , Werle et al, 2021 ), binge eating ( Prunell-Castañé et al, 2021 , Werle et al, 2021 ), binge watching ( Cordeiro et al, 2021 , Ort et al, 2021 , Rubenking and Bracken, 2021 , Werle et al, 2021 ), and binge-porn consumption (i.e., hypersexuality and problematic pornography use; Castro-Calvo et al, 2021 , Koós et al, 2021 ). These articles primarily consist of empirical studies that build on self-report questionnaires, but a few rely on behavioral assessments, ecological approaches (i.e., sampling experiences), or literature reviews.…”

Problematic Pornography Use: Legal and Health Policy Considerations

“… “As for its conceptualization and classification, PPU has been considered as a subtype of Hypersexual Disorder (HD; [ 26 ]), as a form of Sexual Addiction (SA; [ 27 ]), or as a manifestation of Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder (CSBD; [ 28 ]) … As a result, current trends in out-of-control sexual behaviors consider PPU as a subtype of SA/HD/CSBD (the most prominent indeed) rather than as an independent clinical condition [ 29 ], and also assume that many patients presenting with SA/HD/CSBD will show PPU as their primary problematic sexual behavior. At a practical level, this means that many patients presenting with PPU will be diagnosed with one of this ‘general’ clinical labels, and PPU will emerge as a specifier within this diagnostic framework” [ 30 ]. …”

“…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 – 40 ]. Those include negative effects on relationships, on work and on sexual offending.…”

“…It changes the way young people learn to do sex and tends to result in an earlier sexual debut. This then becomes a risk factor, as an earlier sexual debut makes young people more likely to engage in antisocial behaviour [ 30 , 67 , 68 ] and more likely to commit child-on-child sexual abuse [ 69 , 70 ].…”

Diagnostic and Classification Considerations Related to Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder and Problematic Pornography Use

“…In addition to the fact that such situations may occur more often they may also be less avoidable than situations associated with offline sexual activities (e.g., visiting a strip club). Similarly, the high affordability (low costs and low access barriers) may decrease the subjective value of immediate negative consequences which may result in more disadvantageous decision making and reduced inhibitory control processes [18,20]. Also, the high anonymity during online sexual activities reduces access barriers, negative consequences, and hesitations that may be present in the direct contact with others during offline sexual activities [12].…”