Is Viewing Sexually Explicit Material Cheating on Your Partner? A Comparison Between the United States and Spain

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Sociology
• Human Sexuality

Background:

• Defining infidelity is complex and culturally influenced.
• The digital age has increased accessibility to sexually explicit material (SEM).
• Student perceptions of SEM and infidelity warrant cross-cultural examination.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate whether U.S. and Spanish university students consider viewing SEM as infidelity.
• To identify factors influencing these perceptions across different cultural contexts.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study involving 392 U.S. and 200 Spanish university students.
• Online questionnaires administered via computer program.
• Data collected on demographics, SEM viewing habits, and attitudes toward infidelity.

Main Results:

• A majority (73% U.S., 77% Spain) did not consider SEM viewing as infidelity.
• U.S. participants, those not in relationships, and non-SEM viewers were more likely to view SEM as infidelity.
• Intolerance of infidelity, negative SEM attitudes, and jealousy correlated with viewing SEM as infidelity.

Conclusions:

• Cultural and individual factors significantly shape perceptions of SEM within relationships.
• U.S. students exhibited stronger beliefs linking SEM to infidelity compared to Spanish students.
• Understanding these diverse views is crucial for relationship counseling and sexual health education.