Psychological impact of pornography exposure among university students in Kuantan

Pornography is a medium for sexual pleasure obtained from sources like pictures, videos, audios and written materials. Pornography can cause addiction to the users by stimulating the reward system that will cause significant brain changes similarly seen indrug addiction. Pornographic addiction has become a serious concern in the community worldwide which involves multiple age groups from children, teenagers until adults. This concern is becoming serious as the sources of the pornographic materials are easily available via the internet. Pornography addiction is also shown to give psychological impact to its users. This study was conducted to investigate the psychological impact of pornography usage among university students in Kuantan, Pahang and the comparisons between gender. A descriptive quantitative study was conducted involving 114 college students in Kuantan. An online questionnaire was administered to assess the psychological impact of pornography exposure on anxiety and depression among the respondents. The study showed that more men are significantly involved with pornography compared to women. The common age of first exposure to pornography was between 13 to 17 years old in both genders. Anxiety was higher among those involved with pornography with no differences between gender. Depression was higher among those who consume pornography with a slightly higher percentage of women having moderate to severe depression. This study provides evidence that college students particularly in Kuantan are exposedto pornographic materials. The findings of higher anxiety and depression amongst those who were exposed to pornography suggest that this behavior could negatively affect the wellbeing of students and potentially influence their academic performance

Online Pornography and its Clinical Relevance in Sexual Dysfunctions among young heterosexual men: A Literature Review.

Nos últimos 20 anos, o mundo da pornografia online sofreu uma expansão maciça. O acesso fácil e não controlado ao conteúdo sexual online permite a qualquer pessoa de qualquer idade, em qualquer lugar com Internet e um smartphone, aceder ao mesmo se lhe apetecer. Simultaneamente, as disfunções sexuais, tradicionalmente vistas como dependentes da idade, começaram a ser cada vez mais reportadas pelos homens mais jovens. Vários estudos exploraram a forma como o uso da pornografia se relaciona com a saúde sexual, mas a literatura tem numerosas limitações quanto aos resultados obtidos. Esta revisão visa analisar a literatura disponível para que a investigação futura possa melhorar o seu foco de estudo, investindo em estudos clínicos em larga escala e, portanto, obter resultados mais precisos. A comunidade científica ainda não chegou a um consenso, contudo, no ano passado, "uso de pornografia" e "cibersexo" foram acrescentados ao diagnóstico de Doenças do Comportamento Sexual Compulsivo nas classificações internacionais. Durante o desenvolvimento sexual podem surgir várias questões que podem promover a procura de respostas na Internet, de forma anónima para evitar o sentimento de vergonha, apesar do risco de desinformação. Os médicos devem começar a considerar esta conduta como uma possível causa de determinadas queixas e estarem preparados para abordar uma situação destas, reconhecendo os fatores de risco de disfunções sexuais e perfis distintos de utilização da pornografia.Over the past 20 years, the world of online pornography underwent on a massive expansion. The easy and uncontrolled access to sexual content online allows anyone of any age, anywhere with internet and a smartphone, to consume it if they feel like it. Simultaneously, sexual dysfunctions, traditionally seen as age-dependent, started to be increasingly reported by younger men. Several studies have explored how pornography use relates to sexual health, but the literature has numerous limitations to collect strong data. This review aims to analyse the available literature so that future research can improve its study focus, investing in large-scale clinical studies and therefore obtain more accurate results. The scientific community has not yet reached a consensus, however, last year, "pornography use" and "cybersex" were added to the Compulsive Sexual Behaviour Disorder diagnosis on international classifications. During sexual development, several questions may arise, which can promote the search for answers on the internet anonymously to avoid the feeling of shame, despite the risk of misinformation. Clinicians must start to consider this conduct as a possible cause of some complaints and be prepared to approach such a case, recognizing risk factors for sexual dysfunctions and distinct pornography-use profiles

Inhibitory Control and Problematic Internet-Pornography Use - The Important Balancing Role of the Insula

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Diminished control over a specific behavior is a core characteristic in addictive behaviors such as problematic Internet-pornography (IP) use. First studies suggest that a hyperactivity of the impulsive system is one reason for impulsive behaviors in the context of problematic IP use. The tripartite-process theory of addiction explains neurocognitive mechanisms beyond common dual-process theories in addictive behaviors. However, the role of the reflective and interoceptive system is still unresolved. METHODS: The study comprised a stop-signal task (SST) including neutral and pornographic images during fMRI and questionnaires to investigate associations between symptoms of problematic IP use, craving, and neural activity of the impulsive, reflective, and interoceptive system. We examined 28 heterosexual males with varying symptom severity of problematic IP use. RESULTS: Data indicates that individuals with more symptoms of problematic IP use showed better performance in the SST which was linked to decreased insula and inferior frontal gyrus activity during pornographic image processing. An increase in craving was associated with lower activity of the ventral striatum during pornographic image processing. The interoceptive system showed varying effects. Increased insula activity during inhibitory control and decreased activity during pornographic image processing were associated with higher inhibitory control performance. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Effects of tolerance and motivational aspects may explain the better inhibitory control performance in individuals with higher symptom severity which was associated with differential activity of the interoceptive and reflective system. Diminished control over IP use presumably results from the interaction between the impulsive, reflective, and interoceptive systems

Integrating psychological and neurobiological considerations regarding the development and maintenance of specific Internet-use disorders: An Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution (I-PACE) model

AbstractWithin the last two decades, many studies have addressed the clinical phenomenon of Internet-use disorders, with a particular focus on Internet-gaming disorder. Based on previous theoretical considerations and empirical findings, we suggest an Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution (I-PACE) model of specific Internet-use disorders. The I-PACE model is a theoretical framework for the processes underlying the development and maintenance of an addictive use of certain Internet applications or sites promoting gaming, gambling, pornography viewing, shopping, or communication. The model is composed as a process model. Specific Internet-use disorders are considered to be the consequence of interactions between predisposing factors, such as neurobiological and psychological constitutions, moderators, such as coping styles and Internet-related cognitive biases, and mediators, such as affective and cognitive responses to situational triggers in combination with reduced executive functioning. Conditioning processes may strengthen these associations within an addiction process. Although the hypotheses regarding the mechanisms underlying the development and maintenance of specific Internet-use disorders, summarized in the I-PACE model, must be further tested empirically, implications for treatment interventions are suggested

Compulsive sexual behavior: Prefrontal and limbic volume and interactions.

$\textit{Background:}$ Compulsive sexual behaviors (CSB) are relatively common and associated with significant personal and social dysfunction. The underlying neurobiology is still poorly understood. The present study examines brain volumes and resting state functional connectivity in CSB compared with matched healthy volunteers (HV). $\textit{Methods:}$ Structural MRI (MPRAGE) data were collected in 92 subjects (23 CSB males and 69 age-matched male HV) and analyzed using voxel-based morphometry. Resting state functional MRI data using multi-echo planar sequence and independent components analysis (ME-ICA) were collected in 68 subjects (23 CSB subjects and 45 age-matched HV). $\textit{Results:}$ CSB subjects showed greater left amygdala gray matter volumes (small volume corrected, Bonferroni adjusted $P$ < 0.01) and reduced resting state functional connectivity between the left amygdala seed and bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (whole brain, cluster corrected FWE $P$ < 0.05) compared with HV. $\textit{Conclusions:}$ CSB is associated with elevated volumes in limbic regions relevant to motivational salience and emotion processing, and impaired functional connectivity between prefrontal control regulatory and limbic regions. Future studies should aim to assess longitudinal measures to investigate whether these findings are risk factors that predate the onset of the behaviors or are consequences of the behaviors

Cybersex addiction: Conditioning processes and implicit cognition

Research on cybersex addiction, as one form of specific Internet addiction, has been receiving growing attention in the past years. However, there is no consensus regarding the phenomenology, classification, and diagnostic criteria of cybersex addiction and respectively Internet addiction, so far. Some approaches suggest similarities to substance dependencies for which conditioning processes, approach/avoidance tendencies, and implicit associations are seen to be crucial mechanisms regarding development and maintenance. In the course of this dissertation, three studies that aim at investigating these mechanisms in the context of cybersex addiction were conducted. Each study adapted an experimental paradigm used in substance dependence research while it was expected to obtain comparable results. First, to investigate conditioning processes, a Standard Pavlovian to Instrumental Transfer Task (Hogarth, Dickinson, Wright, Kouvaraki, & Duka, 2007) was modified. Second, an adapted version of the Approach Avoidance Task (Rinck & Becker, 2007) was used for investigating a potential role of approach/avoidance tendencies. Third, to assess effects of implicit associations on cybersex addiction, an Implicit Association Test was adapted (Greenwald, McGhee, & Schwartz, 1998). All experimental paradigms were modified with pornographic pictures. Results revealed that conditioning processes, approach/avoidance tendencies as well as implicit associations had an effect on tendencies towards cybersex addiction. Moreover, all three studies could show that self-reported symptoms of cybersex addiction were particularly high if the investigated mechanisms interacted either with specific predispositions towards sex (i.e. sexual excitation or problematic sexual behaviors) or subjective craving due to watching pornographic pictures. Overall, the findings of this dissertation provide further empirical evidence for similarities between cybersex addiction and substance dependencies. Therefore, similarities between dual-process models of addiction (Bechara, 2005; Wiers & Stacy, 2006) and the theoretical framework of cybersex addiction by Laier and Brand (2014) are discussed. Furthermore, extensions of the cybersex addiction framework by Laier and Brand (2014) are proposed. At last, practical implications are discussed, while limitations and future directives are pointed out

Compulsive sexual behavior: Prefrontal and limbic volume and interactions.

BACKGROUND: Compulsive sexual behaviors (CSB) are relatively common and associated with significant personal and social dysfunction. The underlying neurobiology is still poorly understood. The present study examines brain volumes and resting state functional connectivity in CSB compared with matched healthy volunteers (HV). METHODS: Structural MRI (MPRAGE) data were collected in 92 subjects (23 CSB males and 69 age-matched male HV) and analyzed using voxel-based morphometry. Resting state functional MRI data using multi-echo planar sequence and independent components analysis (ME-ICA) were collected in 68 subjects (23 CSB subjects and 45 age-matched HV). RESULTS: CSB subjects showed greater left amygdala gray matter volumes (small volume corrected, Bonferroni adjusted P < 0.01) and reduced resting state functional connectivity between the left amygdala seed and bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (whole brain, cluster corrected FWE P < 0.05) compared with HV. CONCLUSIONS: CSB is associated with elevated volumes in limbic regions relevant to motivational salience and emotion processing, and impaired functional connectivity between prefrontal control regulatory and limbic regions. Future studies should aim to assess longitudinal measures to investigate whether these findings are risk factors that predate the onset of the behaviors or are consequences of the behaviors. Hum Brain Mapp 38:1182-1190, 2017. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

“Pornographic binges” as a key characteristic of males seeking treatment for compulsive sexual behaviors: Qualitative and quantitative 10-week-long diary assessment

Background and aims Compulsive sexual behaviors (CSBs) are an important clinical and social issue. Despite the increasing number of studies, some of CSB’s aspects remain under-investigated. Here, we explore the nature of CSB, such as binge pornography use and masturbation (PuM), and verify the correspondence between self-perceived factors leading to such behavior with its measures obtained in a diary assessment. Methods Semi-structuralized interviews with nine treatment-seeking males aged 22–37 years (M = 31.7, SD = 4.85) were followed by a questionnaire and a 10-week-long diary assessment, allowing us to acquire real-life daily patterns of CSB. Results Six out of nine subjects experienced binge (multiple hours or times a day) PuM. All subjects presented a high level of anxiety and perceived PuM as a way to regulate mood and stress. Data collected in the diary assessment uncovered a high diversity in the patterns of sexual behaviors (such as frequency of regular and binge PuM) and its correlates. Binge PuM was related to decreased mood and/or increased stress or anxiety. The causal relation between these correlates remains undetermined. Discussion and conclusions Binge PuM seems to be one of the most characteristic behavior among males who are seeking treatment for CSB and is related to the feeling of losing control over one’s sexual activity. CSB individuals indicate a variety of binge triggers. Also, diary assessment data indicate that specific correlates of binge PuM (decreased mood, increased stress, and anxiety) differ between subjects. It suggests the existence of significant individual differences in binge PuM behaviors, and a need to study these differences, as it may help guide personalized treatment