The Dependency-Resentment Hypothesis: Beyond North America and Europe

The association between frequent pornography exposure and sexual socialization processes and effects has been of longstanding interest to pornography scholars. In recent years, pornography scholars have become increasingly interested in problematic pornography use, of which frequent consumption is a central correlate. The Dependency-Resentment Hypothesis (DRH) unites these research areas by predicting the nature of the relationships among heterosexual men's frequent pornography use, problematic pornography use, and hostile attitudes toward women. Following affirmative DRH research conducted in North America and Europe, this Letter reports DRH consistent results from an Asian cultural context. While providing promising support for the tenets and generalizability of the hypothesis, further research using data gathered in other countries and using additional methods is urgently needed.