Narcissism and Internet pornography use

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Cyberpsychology
• Personality Psychology

Background:

• Narcissism is a personality disorder characterized by an inflated sense of self-importance.
• Internet pornography use has become increasingly prevalent, raising questions about its psychological correlates.
• Previous research has explored various psychological factors associated with Internet pornography consumption.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between the extent of Internet pornography use and levels of narcissism.
• To determine if individuals who have used Internet pornography exhibit different narcissism scores compared to those who have not.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional online survey was administered to 257 participants.
• Participants reported their Internet pornography usage patterns.
• Three validated measures of narcissism were employed: Narcissistic Personality Inventory, Pathological Narcissistic Inventory, and the Index of Sexual Narcissism.

Main Results:

• A significant positive correlation was observed between the hours spent viewing Internet pornography and overall narcissism levels.
• Individuals who reported any lifetime use of Internet pornography scored higher on all three narcissism measures compared to non-users.
• The findings suggest a consistent association across different facets of narcissism.

Conclusions:

• Internet pornography use is associated with elevated levels of narcissism.
• The findings contribute to understanding the psychological underpinnings of Internet pornography consumption.
• Further research is warranted to explore the directionality and mechanisms of this relationship.