Pornography Consumption, Modality and Function in a Large Internet Sample.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Sociology
• Media Studies

Background:

• Pornography consumption research faces challenges integrating findings due to measurement inconsistencies.
• Existing literature often lacks comprehensive data on diverse pornography use patterns and functions.
• This study aims to address these gaps by examining multiple facets of pornography consumption simultaneously.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate differential endorsement across common pornography consumption measures.
• To analyze common pornography use modalities (pictures, videos, written).
• To explore the functions of pornography use and its association with age and gender.

Main Methods:

• A large-scale online survey (n=1,392) of US adults aged 18-73 was conducted via Amazon Mechanical Turk.
• Data collected included self-reported pornography consumption rates, modalities, functions, age, and gender.
• Statistical analyses were employed to examine endorsement differences, modality preferences, functional uses, and demographic associations.

Main Results:

• High rates of recent pornography consumption were reported: 91.5% of men and 60.2% of women.
• Primary modalities included written pornography, pictures, and videos, with videos being most frequent.
• Women showed a higher likelihood of consuming written pornography compared to men; enhancing masturbation was the primary reported function.

Conclusions:

• Measurement inconsistencies in pornography research necessitate standardized approaches for better literature integration.
• Understanding diverse pornography consumption modalities and functions, alongside demographic variations, is crucial for accurate research.
• Future research should consider these factors to refine definitions and consumption estimates in the field.