The Porn Gap: Differences in Men's and Women's Pornography Patterns in Couple Relationships

Untangling the Porn Web: Creating an Organizing Framework for Pornography Research Among Couples

“…Men are more likely to use sexual media for solitary sexual activity, where women are more likely to report using sexual media as part of their coupled sexual activity (Albright, 2008;Bridges & Morokoff, 2011;Brown, Durtschi, Carroll, & Willoughby, 2017;Kohut, Balzarini, Fisher, & Campbell, 2018). Specifically, Carroll et al (2017) found that women were more likely to report that their consumption was mostly or entirely couple-based in contrast to men who were more likely to report viewing pornography always alone. This seems consistent with findings by Rosenberg (2014, 2016) where only a minority of men reported ever using pornography with a partner.…”

“…Recent research suggests this is beginning to be true at the couple level as well. Using national US data, Carroll et al (2017) found that when romantic couples reported pornography use, most of these couples reported at least some use together. Willoughby and Leonhardt (2018) also recently observed that among their sample of 240 heterosexual couples, the majority reported at least some joint pornography use.…”

“…Pornography use also appears to be a decidedly gendered behavior. While pornography use continues to trend higher across almost all segments of the population, a large gender gap remains, where men report significantly higher pornography viewing than women (Albright, 2008;Carroll et al, 2017Carroll et al, , 2008Maddox, Rhoades, & Markman, 2011;Petersen & Hyde, 2010;Poulsen, Busby, & Galovan, 2013). The purposes of pornography use also typically differ by gender.…”

“…While this interest has led to a growth in the empirical scholarship examining pornography consumption and its correlates, much of this research continues to focus on individual viewing from a psychological framework (Grubbs, Perry, Wilt, & Reid, 2019;Wright, Tokunaga, & Kraus, 2015). Research on the relational impacts and realities of pornography use is less frequent but will likely increase in its relevance given a growing proportion of romantic couples where at least one partner regularly views pornographic material (Carroll, Busby, Willoughby, & Brown, 2017).…”

A Dyadic Approach to Pornography Use and Relationship Satisfaction Among Heterosexual Couples: The Role of Pornography Acceptance and Anxious Attachment

“…For example, internet pornography use among one or both partners in a committed relationship has been found to be associated with poorer relationship quality, feelings of inadequacy, and low self-esteem; particularly among women in long-term relationships (Campbell & Kohut, 2017; Carroll, Busby, Willoughby, & Brown, 2017; Stewart & Szymanski, 2012). The act of secretly using pornography, hiding it, and feeling guilty about it, may make the other partner feel inadequate and that the user is emotionally withdrawn from his or her partner, which is thought to lead to sexual dysfunction and deteriorated emotional intimacy (Bergner & Bridges, 2002; Manning, 2006).…”