Problematic Internet Pornography Use and Psychological Distress among Emerging Adults in Malaysia: Gender as a Moderator
Abstract
:1. Introduction
1.1. Pornography Use in Malaysia
1.2. Problematic IPU and Psychological Distress
1.3. Gender Differences in Problematic IPU
1.4. Gender as a Moderator
2. The Present Study
- Is there any gender difference in problematic IPU (salience, mood modification, conflict, tolerance, relapse, and withdrawal) among emerging adults in Malaysia?
- Is there any association between problematic IPU and psychological distress among emerging adults in Malaysia?
- Does gender moderate the association between problematic IPU and psychological distress among emerging adults in Malaysia?
3. Methods
3.1. Participants
3.2. Research Design and Procedure
3.3. Measures
3.4. Data Processing and Plan of Analysis
4. Result
4.1. Gender Differences in Problematic Internet Pornography Use and Psychological Distress
4.2. Correlation between Problematic Internet Pornography Use and Psychological Distress
4.3. Moderating Effect of Gender
5. Discussion
5.1. Limitations and Recommendations for Future Research
5.2. Implications
6. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
References
- Short, M.B.; Black, L.; Smith, A.H.; Wetterneck, C.T.; Wells, D.E. A Review of Internet Pornography Use Research: Methodology and Content from the Past 10 Years. Cyberpsychol. Behav. Soc. Netw. 2012, 15, 13–23. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Giordano, A.L.; Cashwell, C.S. Cybersex addiction among college students: A prevalence study. Sex. Addict. Compulsivity 2017, 24, 47–57. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Regnerus, M.; Gordon, D.; Price, J. Documenting pornography use in America: A comparative analysis of methodological approaches. J. Sex. Res. 2016, 53, 873–881. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Rissel, C.; Richters, J.; de Visser, R.; McKee, A.; Yeung, A.; Caruana, T. A Profile of Pornography Users in Australia: Findings from the Second Australian Study of Health and Relationships. J. Sex Res. 2017, 54, 227–240. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Eleuteri, S.; Terzitta, G. Sexuality during the COVID-19 pandemic: The importance of Internet. Sexologies 2021, 30, e55–e60. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Awan, H.A.; Aamir, A.; Diwan, M.N.; Ullah, I.; Pereira-Sanchez, V.; Ramalho, R.; Orsolini, L.; de Filippis, R.; Ojeahere, M.I.; Ransing, R.; et al. Internet and Pornography Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Presumed Impact and What Can Be Done. Front. Psychiatry 2021, 12, 623508. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Pornhub Insight. The Pornhub Tech Review. 2021. Available online: https://www.pornhub.com/insights/tech-review (accessed on 23 December 2021).
- Pornhub Insight. The 2019 Year in Review. 2019. Available online: https://www.pornhub.com/insights/2019-year-in-review (accessed on 23 December 2021).
- Grubbs, J.B.; Stauner, N.; Exline, J.J.; Pargament, K.I.; Lindberg, M.J. Perceived addiction to Internet pornography and psychological distress: Examining relationships concurrently and over time. Psychol. Addict. Behav. 2015, 29, 1056–1067. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Perry, S.L. Pornography Use and Depressive Symptoms: Examining the Role of Moral Incongruence. Soc. Ment. Health 2017, 8, 195–213. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Sniewski, L.; Farvid, P. Hidden in shame: Heterosexual men’s experiences of self-perceived problematic pornography use. Psychol. Men Masc. 2020, 21, 201–212. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Bradley, D.F.; Grubbs, J.B.; Uzdavines, A.; Exline, J.J.; Pargament, K.I. Perceived Addiction to Internet Pornography among Religious Believers and Nonbelievers. Sex. Addict. Compulsivity 2016, 23, 225–243. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Wilt, J.A.; Cooper, E.B.; Grubbs, J.; Exline, J.J.; Pargament, K.I. Associations of Perceived Addiction to Internet Pornography with Religious/Spiritual and Psychological Functioning. Sex. Addict. Compulsivity 2016, 23, 260–278. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Dwulit, A.D.; Rzymski, P. Prevalence, Patterns and Self-Perceived Effects of Pornography Consumption in Polish University Students: A Cross-Sectional Study. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2019, 16, 1861. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed] [Green Version]
- Schwartz, S.J.; Petrova, M. Prevention Science in Emerging Adulthood: A Field Coming of Age. Prev. Sci. 2019, 20, 305–309. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Wright, P.J. Pornography consumption and condomless sex among emerging US adults: Results from six nationally representative surveys. Health Commun. 2021. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Blaszczynski, A. Excessive pornography use: Empirically-enhanced treatment interventions. Aust. Clin. Psychol. 2016, 2, 803–812. Available online: https://acp.scholasticahq.com/article/803-excessive-pornography-use-empirically-enhanced-treatment-interventions (accessed on 23 December 2021).
- Sirianni, J.M.; Vishwanath, A. Problematic online pornography use: A media attendance perspective. J. Sex. Res. 2016, 53, 21–34. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Leonhardt, N.D.; Willoughby, B.J.; Young-Petersen, B. Damaged Goods: Perception of Pornography Addiction as a Mediator Between Religiosity and Relationship Anxiety Surrounding Pornography Use. J. Sex Res. 2018, 55, 357–368. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Malik, M.A. MCMC: Almost 3000 Pornographic Sites Blocked Since Sept 2018. 2021. Available online: https://www.nst.com.my/news/crime-courts/2021/01/660369/mcmc-almost-3000-pornographic-sites-blocked-sept-2018 (accessed on 11 December 2021).
- Ali, A.A.Z.; Muhammad, N.A.; Jamil, T.R.; Ahmad, S.; Aziz, N.A.A. Internet pornography exposures amongst young people in Malaysia: A cross-sectional study looking into the role of gender and perceived realism versus the actual sexual activities. Addict. Behav. Rep. 2021, 14, 100350. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Fang, J. M’sia Ranks 4th in Coronavirus Pornhub Searches, Shows we’re Coping with Lockdown in Creative Ways. 2020. Available online: https://thesmartlocal.com/malaysia/pornhub-coronavirus-statistics/ (accessed on 15 December 2021).
- Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission. Internet Users Survey 2020. 2020. Available online: https://www.mcmc.gov.my/skmmgovmy/media/General/pdf/IUS-2020-Report.pdf (accessed on 15 December 2021).
- Tan, T.; Carvalho, M.; Sivanandam, H.; Rahim, R. More than 2400 Porn Sites Blocked by MCMC since 2018. TheStar. Available online: https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2020/08/03/more-than-2400-porn-sites-blocked-by-mcmc-since-2018 (accessed on 23 December 2021).
- Lim, C. Is it a Crime to Watch Porn Online in Malaysia? 2018. Available online: https://asklegal.my/p/internet-porn-malaysia-illegal (accessed on 22 December 2021).
- Zain, N.M.; Low, W.Y.; Othman, S. Factors associated with pregnancy among unmarried women in Malaysia. Southeast Asian J. Trop. Med. Public Health 2015, 46, 526–538. Available online: https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.1082.2878&rep= (accessed on 26 December 2021).
- Majid, M.A.; Azman, N.Z.; Yani, N.I.M. Faktor penglibatan remaja dalam salah laku seksual: Kajian terhadap remaja hamil luar nikah di Pusat Pemulihan Akhlak negeri Selangor. J. Islam. Contemp. Issues 2019, 4, 94–109. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Rosli, N.; Zubaidi, N.H.A.; Dusuki, F.N. Regulating the protection and rehabilitation of victims of internet child pornography in Malaysia. Int. J. Acad. Res. Bus. Soc. Sci. 2019, 9, 450–469. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Nelson, L.J.; Padilla-Walker, L.M.; Carroll, J.S. “I believe it is wrong but I still do it”: A comparison of religious young men who do versus do not use pornography. Psychol. Relig. Spirit. 2010, 2, 136–147. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Cavaglion, G. Cyber-porn Dependence: Voices of Distress in an Italian Internet Self-help Community. Int. J. Ment. Health Addict. 2009, 7, 295–310. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Litsou, K.; Byron, P.; McKee, A.; Ingham, R. Learning from pornography: Results of a mixed methods systematic review. Sex Educ. 2020, 21, 236–252. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Löfgren-Mårtenson, L.; Månsson, S.-A. Lust, Love, and Life: A Qualitative Study of Swedish Adolescents’ Perceptions and Experiences with Pornography. J. Sex Res. 2010, 47, 568–579. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Weinberg, M.S.; Williams, C.J.; Kleiner, S.; Irizarry, Y. Pornography, Normalization, and Empowerment. Arch. Sex. Behav. 2010, 39, 1389–1401. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Miller, D.J.; Hald, G.M.; Kidd, G. Self-perceived effects of pornography consumption among heterosexual men. Psychol. Men Masc. 2018, 19, 469–476. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Wéry, A.; Billieux, J. Online sexual activities: An exploratory study of problematic and non-problematic usage patterns in a sample of men. Comput. Hum. Behav. 2016, 56, 257–266. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Bőthe, B.; Tóth-Király, I.; Bella, N.; Potenza, M.N.; Demetrovics, Z.; Orosz, G. Why do people watch pornography? The motivational basis of pornography use. Psychol. Addict. Behav. 2020, 35, 172–186. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Carroll, J.S.; Busby, D.M.; Willoughby, B.J.; Brown, C.C. The Porn Gap: Differences in Men’s and Women’s Pornography Patterns in Couple Relationships. J. Couple Relatsh. Ther. 2016, 16, 146–163. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Shaughnessy, K.; Byers, E.S. Contextualizing cybersex experience: Heterosexually identified men and women’s desire for and experiences with cybersex with three types of partners. Comput. Hum. Behav. 2014, 32, 178–185. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Ballester-Arnal, R.; Castro-Calvo, J.; Gil-Llario, M.D.; Giménez-Garcia, C. Relationship Status as an Influence on Cybersex Activity: Cybersex, Youth, and Steady Partner. J. Sex Marital Ther. 2013, 40, 444–456. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- LeMenager, T.; Neissner, M.; Koopmann, A.; Reinhard, I.; Georgiadou, E.; Müller, A.; Kiefer, F.; Hillemacher, T. COVID-19 Lockdown Restrictions and Online Media Consumption in Germany. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 14. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Ballester-Arnal, R.; Castro-Calvo, J.; Llario, G.; Gil-Julia, B. Cybersex Addiction: A Study on Spanish College Students. J. Sex Marital Ther. 2016, 43, 567–585. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Bőthe, B.; Tóth-Király, I.; Zsila, Á.; Griffiths, M.D.; Demetrovics, Z.; Orosz, G. The development of the problematic pornography consumption scale (PPCS). J. Sex Res. 2018, 55, 395–406. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Bőthe, B.; Vaillancourt-Morel, M.P.; Dion, J.; Paquette, M.M.; Massé-Pfister, M.; Tóth-Király, I.; Bergeron, S. A longitudinal study of adolescents’ pornography use frequency, motivations, and problematic use before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Arch. Sex. Behav. 2022, 51, 139–156. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Okabe, Y.; Takahashi, F.; Ito, D. Problematic pornography use in Japan: A preliminary study among university students. Front. Psychol. 2021, 12, 1344. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Harper, C.; Hodgins, D.C. Examining Correlates of Problematic Internet Pornography Use Among University Students. J. Behav. Addict. 2016, 5, 179–191. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Camilleri, C.; Perry, J.T.; Sammut, S. Compulsive internet pornography use and mental health: A cross-sectional study in a sample of university students in the United States. Front. Psychol. 2020, 11, 613244. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Bridges, A.J.; Morokoff, P.J. Sexual media use and relational satisfaction in heterosexual couples. Pers. Relatsh. 2010, 18, 562–585. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Mulya, T.W.; Hald, G.M. Self-Perceived Effects of Pornography Consumption in a Sample of Indonesian University Students. Media Psychol. 2014, 17, 78–101. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Kirby, M. Pornography and its impact on the sexual health of men. Trends Urol. Men’s Health 2021, 12, 6–10. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Brown, S. Porn: Made for Men, by Men. 2017. Available online: https://dailyevergreen.com/18487/special-editions/sex-edition/sex-edition-2017/how-women-are-treated-in-the-porn-industry/ (accessed on 20 December 2021).
- Solis, M. Porn is Made for Men. Let’s Make Feminist Porn Popular. 2017. Available online: https://www.varsity.co.uk/features/13930 (accessed on 23 December 2021).
- Engle, G. How You—Yes, You—Can Make the Porn Industry more Feminist. 2017. Available online: https://www.glamour.com/story/cindy-gallop-how-porn-industry-can-become-feminist (accessed on 18 December 2021).
- Simon, W.; Gagnon, J.H. Sexual scripts: Origins, influences and changes. Qual. Sociol. 2003, 26, 491–497. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Sakaluk, J.K.; Todd, L.M.; Milhausen, R.; Lachowsky, N.J.; Undergraduate Research Group in Sexuality URGiS. Dominant Heterosexual Sexual Scripts in Emerging Adulthood: Conceptualization and Measurement. J. Sex Res. 2014, 51, 516–531. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed] [Green Version]
- Hald, G.M.; Malamuth, N.N.; Lange, T. Pornography and Sexist Attitudes Among Heterosexuals. J. Commun. 2013, 63, 638–660. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Levin, M.E.; Lillis, J.; Hayes, S.C. When is online pornography viewing problematic among college males? Examining the moderating role of experiential avoidance. Sex. Addict. Compulsivity 2012, 19, 168–180. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Daspe, M.; Vaillancourt-Morel, M.-P.; Lussier, Y.; Sabourin, S.; Ferron, A. When Pornography Use Feels Out of Control: The Moderation Effect of Relationship and Sexual Satisfaction. J. Sex Marital Ther. 2018, 44, 343–353. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Yurdagül, C.; Kircaburun, K.; Emirtekin, E.; Wang, P.; Griffiths, M.D. Psychopathological Consequences Related to Problematic Instagram Use Among Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Body Image Dissatisfaction and Moderating Role of Gender. Int. J. Ment. Health Addict. 2019, 19, 1385–1397. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Ashraaf, M.A.; Othman, N. Factors for pornography addiction and its implication on teenager personality. Int. J. Acad. Res. Bus. Soc. Sci. 2019, 9, 1148–1160. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Habidin, N.; Abdullah, M.Y.; Salleh, M.A.M. Online pornography on smartphones amongst the teenage juvenile. Humanit. Soc. Sci. Rev. 2016, 6, 355–366. [Google Scholar]
- Nahar, N.; Sangi, S.; Rosli, N.; Abdullah, A.H. Impak negatif teknologi moden dalam kehidupan dan perkembangan kanak-kanak hingga usia remaja (Negative impact of modern technology to the children’s life and their development). UMRAN-Int. J. Islamic Civiliz. Stud. 2018, 5, 87–99. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Maddox, A.M.; Rhoades, G.; Markman, H.J. Viewing Sexually-Explicit Materials Alone or Together: Associations with Relationship Quality. Arch. Sex. Behav. 2009, 40, 441–448. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Wetterneck, C.T.; Burgess, A.J.; Short, M.B.; Smith, A.H.; Cervantes, M.E. The Role of Sexual Compulsivity, Impulsivity, and Experiential Avoidance in Internet Pornography Use. Psychol. Rec. 2012, 62, 3–18. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Olmstead, S.B.; Negash, S.; Pasley, K.; Fincham, F. Emerging Adults’ Expectations for Pornography Use in the Context of Future Committed Romantic Relationships: A Qualitative Study. Arch. Sex. Behav. 2013, 42, 625–635. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Kessler, R.C.; Barker, P.R.; Colpe, L.J.; Epstein, J.F.; Gfroerer, J.C.; Hiripi, E.; Howes, M.J.; Normand, S.-L.T.; Manderscheid, R.W.; Walters, E.E.; et al. Screening for Serious Mental Illness in the General Population. Arch. Gen. Psychiatry 2003, 60, 184–189. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Hayes, A.F. Introduction to Mediation, Moderation, and Conditional Process Analysis: A Regression-Based Approach; Guilford Press: New York, NY, USA, 2013. [Google Scholar]
- Hald, G.M.; Mulya, T.W. Pornography consumption and non-marital sexual behaviour in a sample of young Indonesian university students. Cult. Health Sex. 2013, 15, 981–996. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Cawston, A. The feminist case against pornography: A review and re-evaluation. Inquiry 2019, 62, 624–658. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [Green Version]
- Fritz, N.; Paul, B. From orgasms to spanking: A content analysis of the agentic and objectifying sexual scripts in feminist, for women, and mainstream pornography. Sex. Roles 2017, 77, 639–652. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Tanhan, A.; Strack, R.W. Online photovoice to explore and advocate for Muslim biopsychosocial spiritual wellbeing and issues: Ecological systems theory and ally development. Curr. Psychol. 2020, 39, 2010–2025. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Muusses, L.D.; Kerkhof, P.; Finkenauer, C. Internet pornography and relationship quality: A longitudinal study of within and between partner effects of adjustment, sexual satisfaction and sexually explicit internet material among newly-weds. Comput. Hum. Behav. 2015, 45, 77–84. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
n | % | Mean | SD | Min. | Max. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Age | 21.41 | 3.49 | 18 | 29 | ||
Gender | ||||||
Male | 91 | 63.2 | ||||
Female | 53 | 36.8 | ||||
Ethnicity | ||||||
Malays | 28 | 19.4 | ||||
Chinese | 98 | 68.1 | ||||
Indians | 16 | 11.1 | ||||
Others | 2 | 1.4 | ||||
Employment Status | ||||||
Students | 98 | 68.1 | ||||
Full-time employed | 34 | 23.6 | ||||
Unemployed | 12 | 8.3 | ||||
Relationship Status | ||||||
Single | 84 | 58.7 | ||||
In-relationship | 43 | 30.1 | ||||
Married | 16 | 11.2 |
Variable | Total | Male | Female | t | p | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mean | SD | Mean | SD | Mean | SD | |||
Salience | 2.96 | 1.51 | 3.30 | 1.54 | 2.38 | 1.27 | 3.83 | <0.001 |
Mood Modification | 3.10 | 1.68 | 3.42 | 1.67 | 2.54 | 1.55 | 3.16 | 0.002 |
Conflict | 2.31 | 1.35 | 2.55 | 1.42 | 1.91 | 1.15 | 2.93 | 0.004 |
Tolerance | 2.50 | 1.47 | 2.69 | 1.50 | 2.19 | 1.36 | 2.05 | 0.043 |
Relapse | 2.86 | 1.57 | 3.23 | 1.54 | 2.21 | 1.42 | 4.01 | <0.001 |
Withdrawal | 2.24 | 1.42 | 2.40 | 1.45 | 1.96 | 1.35 | 1.81 | 0.073 |
Problematic Pornography Use | 2.66 | 1.28 | 2.93 | 1.25 | 2.20 | 1.22 | 3.42 | 0.001 |
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. Salience | 1 | |||||||
2. Mood modification | 0.81 *** | 1 | ||||||
3. Conflict | 0.44 *** | 0.47 *** | 1 | |||||
4. Tolerance | 0.73 *** | 0.72 *** | 0.60 *** | 1 | ||||
5. Relapse | 0.78 *** | 0.71 *** | 0.53 *** | 0.77 *** | 1 | |||
6. Withdrawal | 0.78 *** | 0.75 *** | 0.51 *** | 0.78 *** | 0.75 *** | 1 | ||
7. Problematic IPU | 0.89 *** | 0.88 *** | 0.68 *** | 0.89 *** | 0.89 *** | 0.89 *** | 1 | |
8. Psychological distress | 0.13 | 0.17 * | 0.28 *** | 0.12 | 0.17 * | 0.19 * | 0.20 ** | 1 |
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. |
© 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Share and Cite
Tan, S.-A.; Goh, Y.S.; Mohd Zaharim, N.; Gan, S.W.; Yap, C.C.; Nainee, S.; Lee, L.K. Problematic Internet Pornography Use and Psychological Distress among Emerging Adults in Malaysia: Gender as a Moderator. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19, 3682. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19063682
Tan S-A, Goh YS, Mohd Zaharim N, Gan SW, Yap CC, Nainee S, Lee LK. Problematic Internet Pornography Use and Psychological Distress among Emerging Adults in Malaysia: Gender as a Moderator. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2022; 19(6):3682. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19063682
Chicago/Turabian StyleTan, Soon-Aun, Yee Shan Goh, Norzarina Mohd Zaharim, Su Wan Gan, Chin Choo Yap, Sarvarubini Nainee, and Ling Khai Lee. 2022. "Problematic Internet Pornography Use and Psychological Distress among Emerging Adults in Malaysia: Gender as a Moderator" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 19, no. 6: 3682. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19063682
APA StyleTan, S. -A., Goh, Y. S., Mohd Zaharim, N., Gan, S. W., Yap, C. C., Nainee, S., & Lee, L. K. (2022). Problematic Internet Pornography Use and Psychological Distress among Emerging Adults in Malaysia: Gender as a Moderator. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(6), 3682. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19063682