The study of about pornography consumption was conducted by an international team of researchers led by a professor from Université de Montréal.
An international team of researchers led by a professor from Université de Montréal used artificial intelligence to identify predictive factors of problematic pornography consumption.
“It was the first time we collected all the data that exist on the problematic use of pornography,” said Professor Beata Bőthe of the psychology department at the U de M. “We could not have analyzed so much data without artificial intelligence and machine learning. No human could have done that.”
Seventeen robust predictors stood out from the pack, but five stood out more than the rest:
- Frequency of use.
- Emotional avoidance as motivation to consume.
- Stress reduction as motivation to consume.
- The moral contradiction with regard to consumption.
- Sexual shame.
Not everyone who consumes pornography very frequently has problematic use, Bőthe says. Distress exists when there is excessive consumption, especially in the presence of an inability to control one’s behaviour.
Pornography use becomes problematic when the individual cannot stop using it despite difficult emotional states and even if it significantly interferes with their daily life. This excessive consumption can lead to relational, financial and even legal issues, according to research.
“When we look at the data, we see that there are two major categories of predictive factors,” Bőthe said. “For example, and this is not surprising, people who consume the most pornography or who consume it the longest are more at risk of developing problematic use. But there are also predictive factors related to negative emotions and the way people manage these emotions.”
Specifically, she added, data show that people who use pornography to cope with negative emotions or to manage stress also have higher levels of problematic pornography use. People who have symptoms of anxiety or depression, or those who feel lonely, could also be at greater risk.
“It therefore appears that negative emotions and the way people deal with negative emotional stress may be an important factor in problematic pornography use,” Bőthe said.
A desire to find preventive solutions to the harmful consequences of this disorder got the researcher and her colleagues interested in the variables that could help predict problematic pornography consumption.
This study, Bőthe said, contributes additional knowledge about pornography consumption in general, and the risk factors for problematic use in particular. This new empirical knowledge could contribute to the development of more targeted, relevant and effective prevention and intervention programs.
The study showed that gender only comes in at 14th place on the list of predictive factors, even though conventional wisdom primarily associates pornography consumption with men.
“It seems that gender is not as important as we thought in the past,” Bőthe said. “Studies have mainly focused on men, but we now see that we should also be interested in women or diverse-gender individuals.”
Problematic pornography consumption is the most common manifestation of compulsive sexual behaviour disorder, a condition characterized by uncontrollable sexual urges and behaviours, as well as clinically significant distress.