Psychometric Properties of the Problematic Pornography Use Scale in a Japanese Sample

Problematic pornography use (PPU) is the inability to control the use of pornography and is considered a form of compulsive sexual behavior. It can have a negative effect on one's life and is an important clinical and social issue. In Japan, there is no assessment tool to measure PPU and very little research has been done. The Problematic Pornography Use Scale is one of the scales assessing the severity of PPU. This study validated a Japanese version of the Problematic Pornography Use Scale (PPUS-J) and examined its psychometric properties in a sample of 1011 individuals through an online survey (502 men, 509 women; M_age = 35.9 years, SD = 13.75). The results of the confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the four factors in the original scale were consistent with the factors in the PPUS-J, and strict invariance could be assumed for male and female participants. With regard to reliability, internal consistency indices were appropriate both at the overall and subscale levels for male and female participants. The PPUS-J showed good convergent and divergent validity due to the relationship between the subscales and other measures such as the Sexual Compulsivity Scale. These results demonstrate the validity of the PPUS-J for assessing problematic pornography use in a Japanese sample. Given the paucity of studies conducted in non-Western cultures and on women, this study will be useful in advancing research on PPU across different cultures. Future studies should examine test-retest reliability of the PPUS-J and its use with clinical groups.