Longitudinal Associations Between Problematic Pornography Use and Types of Rumination

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Mental Health
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Transdiagnostic approaches are crucial for understanding psychopathology.
• Rumination is a key transdiagnostic construct linked to mental health issues.
• Previous research indicates a link between problematic online behaviors and rumination.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between problematic pornography use (PPU) and two types of rumination (brooding and reflection).
• To examine these associations in a sample of Hungarian young adults over a one-year period.
• To explore potential gender differences in these relationships.

Main Methods:

• Autoregressive cross-lagged analysis with a multigroup approach.
• Sample: 2,786 Hungarian adults (1,327 men, 1,459 women; mean age = 28.00 years).
• Data collected over a one-year period.

Main Results:

• Cross-sectionally, weak positive associations were found between PPU and both brooding and reflection in men and women.
• Longitudinally, PPU and brooding showed a bidirectional relationship.
• Higher PPU predicted higher brooding and reflection over time. Among women, higher brooding predicted higher PPU; among men, higher reflection predicted lower PPU.

Conclusions:

• PPU significantly contributes to both brooding and reflection in young adults.
• Longitudinal findings suggest gender-specific effects: reflection may protect men from PPU, while brooding may exacerbate PPU in women.
• These findings highlight the complex interplay between PPU and rumination, with implications for targeted interventions.