Cybersex addiction: Craving and cognitive processes

Cybersex addiction is discussed with growing interest, because some individuals report symptoms of dependency regarding their cybersex use resulting in personal distress of clinical significance. The aim of this dissertation is to investigate the role of the reinforcing nature of pornographic stimuli in cybersex addiction within four studies. In the first and the second study the theoretical background of substance dependency has been taken as basis for cybersex addiction and experimental paradigms used in research on substance dependencies were adapted to the field of cybersex addiction. These studies address the role of positive reinforcement, cue-reactivity, and predefining vulnerability in cybersex addiction. Regarding this, sensitivity for sexual excitation and a generally problematic use of sex were identified as specific factors of vulnerability and a general psychological-psychiatric symptom severity as unspecific factor of vulnerability for cybersex addiction. It was shown that these vulnerability factors together with self-reported craving predicted tendencies towards cybersex addiction. Moreover, the intensity of craving partially mediated the relationship of specific and unspecific vulnerability factors with tendencies towards cybersex addiction. However, indicators of a poor sex life in general were not associated to symptoms of cybersex addiction. The third and the forth study examined the effect of pornographic stimuli on cognitive processes. It was shown that working memory and decision-making performance was worse when pornographic pictures had to be processed simultaneously. From a cognitive point of view, these results might partly explain why some individuals continue cybersex activities although they experience negative consequences during or following their cybersex use. Altogether, the studies’ findings are discussed according to the assumed underlying processes of conditioning to explain the repeated cybersex use in the light of growing, but neglected negative consequences. It is concluded that positive reinforcement due to sexual arousal can be considered as core mechanism in the development of cybersex addiction and interferes with cognitive processes important for goal-directed behaviors

Getting stuck with pornography? Overuse or neglect of cybersex cues in a multitasking situation is related to symptoms of cybersex addiction

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Some individuals consume cybersex contents, such as pornographic material, in an addictive manner, which leads to severe negative consequences in private life or work. One mechanism leading to negative consequences may be reduced executive control over cognition and behavior that may be necessary to realize goal-oriented switching between cybersex use and other tasks and obligations of life. METHODS: To address this aspect, we investigated 104 male participants with an executive multitasking paradigm with two sets: One set consisted of pictures of persons, the other set consisted of pornographic pictures. In both sets the pictures had to be classified according to certain criteria. The explicit goal was to work on all classification tasks to equal amounts, by switching between the sets and classification tasks in a balanced manner. RESULTS: We found that less balanced performance in this multitasking paradigm was associated with a higher tendency towards cybersex addiction. Persons with this tendency often either overused or neglected working on the pornographic pictures. DISCUSSION: The results indicate that reduced executive control over multitasking performance, when being confronted with pornographic material, may contribute to dysfunctional behaviors and negative consequences resulting from cybersex addiction. However, individuals with tendencies towards cybersex addiction seem to have either an inclination to avoid or to approach the pornographic material, as discussed in motivational models of addiction

Cybersex addiction: Experienced sexual arousal when watching pornography and not real-life sexual contacts makes the difference

Background and aims: Cybersex addiction is discussed controversially, while empirical evidence is widely missing. With respect to its mechanisms of development and maintenance Brand et al. (2011) assume that reinforcement due to cybersex should lead to the development of cue-reactivity and craving explaining recurrent cybersex use in the face of growing but neglected negative consequences. To support this hypothesis, two experimental studies were conducted. Methods: In a cue-reactivity paradigm 100 pornographic cues were presented to participants and indicators of sexual arousal and craving were assessed. The first study aimed at identifying predictors of cybersex addiction in a freely recruited sample of 171 heterosexual males. The aim of the second study was to verify the findings of the first study by comparing healthy (n = 25) and problematic (n = 25) cybersex users. Results: The results show that indicators of sexual arousal and craving to Internet pornographic cues predicted tendencies towards cybersex addiction in the first study. Moreover, it was shown that problematic cybersex users report greater sexual arousal and craving reactions resulting from pornographic cue presentation. In both studies, the number and subjective quality of real-life sexual contacts were not associated to cybersex addiction. Discussion: The results support the gratification hypothesis, which assumes reinforcement, learning mechanisms, and craving to be relevant processes in the development and maintenance of cybersex addiction. Poor or unsatisfying sexual real-life contacts cannot sufficiently explain cybersex addiction. Conclusions: Positive reinforcement in terms of gratification plays a major role in cybersex addictio

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

Tendencies toward Internet-pornography-use disorder: Differences in men and women regarding attentional biases to pornographic stimuli

Background and aims Several authors consider Internet-pornography-use disorder (IPD) as addictive disorder. One of the mechanisms that has been intensively studied in substance- and non-substance-use disorders is an enhanced attentional bias toward addiction-related cues. Attentional biases are described as cognitive processes of individual’s perception affected by the addiction-related cues caused by the conditioned incentive salience of the cue itself. It is assumed in the I-PACE model that in individuals prone to develop IPD symptoms implicit cognitions as well as cue-reactivity and craving arise and increase within the addiction process. Methods To investigate the role of attentional biases in the development of IPD, we investigated a sample of 174 male and female participants. Attentional bias was measured with the Visual Probe Task, in which participants had to react on arrows appearing after pornographic or neutral pictures. In addition, participants had to indicate their sexual arousal induced by pornographic pictures. Furthermore, tendencies toward IPD were measured using the short-Internetsex Addiction Test. Results The results of this study showed a relationship between attentional bias and symptom severity of IPD partially mediated by indicators for cue-reactivity and craving. While men and women generally differ in reaction times due to pornographic pictures, a moderated regression analysis revealed that attentional biases occur independently of sex in the context of IPD symptoms. Discussion The results support theoretical assumptions of the I-PACE model regarding the incentive salience of addiction-related cues and are consistent with studies addressing cue-reactivity and craving in substance-use disorders

Mood changes after watching pornography on the Internet are linked to tendencies towards Internet-pornography-viewing disorder

Internet-pornography-viewing disorder (IPD) is considered one type of Internet-use disorder. For IPDs development, it was assumed theoretically that a dysfunctional use of Internet pornography to cope with depressive mood or stress might be considered to be a risk factor. To address the effect of Internet pornography use on mood, an online study with three measuring points with a sample of male participants was conducted. Participants were investigated regarding their tendencies towards IPD, personal use of Internet pornography, general mood, perceived stress, and their Internet pornography use motivation. Moreover, participants were asked regarding their current mood, sexual arousal, and need to masturbate before and after they watched Internet pornography self-determinedly in a private environment. Data showed that tendencies towards IPD were associated negatively with feeling generally good, awake, and calm and were correlated positively with perceived stress in daily life and using Internet pornography for excitation seeking and emotional avoidance. Self-determined use of Internet pornography in their private environment was accompanied by changes in mood and indicators of sexual arousal. Moreover, tendencies towards IPD were negatively related to mood before and after Internet-pornography use as well as an actual increase of good and calm mood. The results showed effects of watching Internet pornography on mood and sexual arousal which can be considered having reinforcing effects for the user. Thus, the results are in line with theoretical assumptions on IPDs development, in which the positive (and negative) reinforcement received by Internet-pornography use is related to cue-reactivity and craving reactions

Decision making with and without feedback: The role of intelligence, strategies, executive functions, and cognitive styles

Brand M, Laier C, Pawlikowski M, Markowitsch HJ. Decision making with and without feedback: The role of intelligence, strategies, executive functions, and cognitive styles. JOURNAL OF CLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL NEUROPSYCHOLOGY. 2009;31(8):984-998.We investigated the effects of intelligence, decision-making strategies, and general cognitive styles on the role of feedback in making decisions under risk. A total of 100 healthy volunteers were assessed with the Game of Dice Task (GDT). A total of 50 participants performed the original GDT, and 50 participants performed a modified GDT in which no feedback was provided. A neuropsychological test battery and questionnaires assessing strategy application and cognitive styles were administered to all participants. Participants who performed the original GDT had higher net scores than those who performed the modified GDT. The benefit of feedback was moderated by participants' intelligence and strategy application