Longitudinal Links between Pornography Use, Marital Importance, and Permissive Sexuality During Emerging Adulthood

ABSTRACT

Limited research exists concerning pornography’s influence on emerging adult’s relationship trajectories, with no research examining how pornography use predicts emerging adults’ beliefs about marriage. The study includes cross-sectional results of 568 emerging adults and longitudinal results of 142 participants who were followed from the original sample. Regression analyses found that pornography use was cross sectionally associated with a higher importance placed on sexual readiness before getting married and more permissive sexual attitudes. Longitudinal regression analyses showed that pornography use predicted lower marital centrality and more permissive sexual attitudes. These results suggest that pornography use is linked not only to emerging adults’ sexual scripts but also may be influencing broader relationship scripts.

KEYWORDS:

• emerging adults
• marital attitudes
• marital beliefs
• marriage
• pornography
• sexuality