Motivational Pathways Diverge Between Frequent and Problematic Pornography Use.

Objectives: With the increasing accessibility of online sexual content, pornography consumption has become a prevalent aspect of contemporary sexual behavior. However, frequent use does not inherently indicate problematic involvement. This study aimed to clarify the motivational pathways that differ...

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Publicado en:International Journal of Sexual Health Vol. 38; no. 2; pp. 635 - 650
Autores principales: Csányi, Edit, Veszprémi, Martina D., Zsidó, András N., Meskó, Norbert
Formato: research tables/charts Journal Article
Publicado: Taylor & Francis Ltd Apr-Jun2026
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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      jtl: International Journal of Sexual Health
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      dt: Apr-Jun2026
      vid: 38
      iid: 2
      pid: 377
      pub: Taylor & Francis Ltd
      place: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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        10.1080/19317611.2025.2605517
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        atl: Motivational Pathways Diverge Between Frequent and Problematic Pornography Use.
      aug:
        au:
          Csányi, Edit
          Veszprémi, Martina D.
          Zsidó, András N.
          Meskó, Norbert
        affil: Institue of Psychology, University of Pécs, Pécs, EU, Hungary
      sug:
        subj:
          Internet Pornography Addiction Risk Factors
          Pornography Utilization
          Motivation
          Sexuality
          Risk Assessment
          Human
          Male
          Female
          Adolescence
          Adult
          Middle Age
          Hungarians
          Hungary
          Cross Sectional Studies
          Analytic Research
          Comparative Studies
          Descriptive Statistics
          Data Analysis Software
          Questionnaires
          Power Analysis
          Structural Equation Modeling
          Chi Square Test
          Sexual Orientation
          Coping
          Emotional Regulation
          Sexual Behavior
          Attitude to Sexuality
          Linear Regression
          Models, Psychological
          Sexual Partners
          Sexual Health
          Compulsive Behavior
          Sexual Addiction
          Cognitive Therapy
          Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
          Dialectical Behavior Therapy
          Internet Pornography Addiction Prevention and Control
          Funding Source
          Adolescent: 13-18 years
          Adult: 19-44 years
          Middle Aged: 45-64 years
          Male
          Female
      ab: Objectives: With the increasing accessibility of online sexual content, pornography consumption has become a prevalent aspect of contemporary sexual behavior. However, frequent use does not inherently indicate problematic involvement. This study aimed to clarify the motivational pathways that differentiate frequent from problematic pornography use and to examine their associations with sexual regulation and sexual motivations. Methods: A total of 890 Hungarian adults (600 women and 290 men by sex assigned at birth) completed an online survey. Regarding gender identity, most participants identified as women (64.3%) or men (34.7%), with a small proportion identifying as non-binary (0.7%) or choosing not to disclose (0.3%). Participants ranged in age from 18 to 64 years (M = 33.95, SD = 10.14). The survey assessed motivations for pornography use (PUMS), problematic pornography use (PPCS-6), sexual regulatory tendencies (SSFS), and sexual motivations (YSEX?-15). We used generalized linear modeling (GLM) and structural equation modeling (SEM) to test a theory-driven model examining how positive and negative motivations predicted pornography use patterns and sexual regulation outcomes. Results: Positive motivations—such as enhancement and partner-related use—were associated with frequent but non-problematic pornography use and with adaptive sexual regulation. In contrast, negative motivations—such as coping and emotional avoidance—were strongly linked to problematic use, marked by sexual system hyperactivation, emotion regulation difficulties, and impaired relational functioning. Only PPCS-6, not frequency of use, mediated the association between negative motivations and sexual system deactivation. Conclusions: Frequent and problematic pornography use reflect distinct psychological profiles rather than points along a severity continuum. These findings support motivation-based clinical frameworks that distinguish between functional and dysfunctional pornography use when assessing sexual health risks and designing therapeutic interventions.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        research
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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