Theoretical Antecedents of Male Adolescents’ Problematic Pornography Use: A Longitudinal Assessment

ABSTRACT

Although considerable research has examined the antecedents of adolescents’ pornography use (PU), little data exist on the underlying mechanisms of problematic pornography use (PPU) in adolescence. To bridge this gap, the current longitudinal study examined the long-term associations between adolescent boys’ PU frequency, PPU, and theory-based predictors of PPU. Testing three conceptual models (the moral incongruence, out of control, and mood management models), we examined the relative contributions of impulsivity, depression/anxiety symptoms, and religiosity to PPU, controlling for PU over time. The analysis was conducted using a panel sample of 337 Croatian men (M_age = 15.9 years, SD = 0.52). Latent growth curve modeling showed that baseline levels of, and subsequent growth in PU predicted later higher levels of PPU, irrespective of participants’ religiosity, negative emotions, and impulsivity. Baseline higher levels of negative emotions and impulsivity predicted higher levels of PPU three years later, even after controlling for the growth in PU over time. Religiosity moderated the association between changes in PU and PPU. Growth in PU resulted in higher PPU among more religious adolescents, compared to their less religious peers. This study’s findings support all three conceptual models explaining PPU in adults and may guide clinical work with adolescents seeking help for PPU.

Notes

¹ In this paper, we use the term problematic pornography use (PPU) to avoid any speculation about its etiology, which remains a controversial issue (see Kraus et al., 2016).

² Personal faith did not moderate the association between baseline levels of pornography use and PPU at T6; the faith x pornography use intercept interaction was non-significant, and its addition failed to improve model fit.

³ Rijeka is a port town, with traditionally close cultural and economic ties to Italy. During the past three decades, the municipality has been uninterruptedly governed by a left-of-center party – in contrast to most other parts of the country, where a right-of-center party has been dominating. Rijeka is often perceived as more liberal and less nationalistic compared to other large cities in the country, which may be related to the fact that it had not been directly affected by the 1991-1995 war for independence.

Additional information

Funding

The study was funded by the Croatian Science Foundation (grant no. 922 awarded to A. Štulhofer). A. Rousseau was supported by a postdoctoral fellowship from the Flemish Fund for Scientific Research (FWO). B. Bőthe was supported by a postdoctoral fellowship from the SCOUP Team – Sexuality and Couples – Fonds de recherche du Québec, Société et Culture.