Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 7, 2026

Assessment of Sexual Behavior of Male Mice
Published on: March 5, 2020
Is the Web the culprit? Cognitive escape and Internet sexual risk among gay and bisexual men
David McKirnan1, Eric Houston, Marina Tolou-Shams
1Department of Psychology, The University of Illinois at Chicago, Howard Brown Health Center, Chicago, IL 60607, USA. davidmck@uic.edu
Abstract:
Men who have Sex with Men (MSM) who find partners on the Internet tend to be sexually risky. A "cognitive escape" perspective maintains that feeling overwhelmed by rigorous sexual norms may lead one to cognitively disengage from these demands as a coping strategy. We thus proposed that the Internet might facilitate less restrained behavior among men whose psychological characteristics make them vulnerable to "escape"-based risk. We tested this in a socio-economically and ethnically diverse cross sectional survey sample of MSM, n=817. Men who sought sex on-line reported more unprotected sex and sexually transmitted infections, controlling for demographics and overall number of sex partners. Consistent with an escape perspective, partner choice and sexual context, alcohol and drug use, and "burnout" or fatigue over sexual safety mediated the relationship between Internet use and sexual risk. The Internet is not an isolated source of risk; interventions must address the psychosocial aspects of this venue.
Related Concept Videos
Amebiasis
Bullying
Criticisms of the Evolutionary Perspective
Evolutionary psychology provides one explanation for these findings, suggesting...
Disorders of the Male Reproductive System
Prostate disorders are another major concern. These conditions can impair urinary flow due to the prostate's location around the urethra. Symptoms...
Social Foundations of Self IV: Self in Digital Communication
Causes of Social Behavior II: Cognitive Processes
