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Pornography Use and Closeness with Others in Men

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Abstract

The aim of the present study was to examine the association between pornography use and aspects of socioemotional closeness in a non-clinical sample of 164 males. Participants’ actual and ideal socioemotional closeness was measured by the Perceived Interpersonal Closeness Scale (PICS; Popovic et al., 2003) while their pornography use was examined by the Background and Pornography Use Information Questionnaire (Popovic, 2009). Potential effects of these variables on each other as well as various findings concerning pornography consumption and related attitudes are presented. The results showed that there was no significant difference between self-reported pornography users and non-users in terms of specific socioemotional closeness with the most significant adults in their lives (i.e., partners, closest friends, mothers, and fathers). However, pornography users had significantly higher total closeness scores than non-users, showing possibly a craving for intimacy among pornography users versus non-pornography users. This “intimacy motive” and relevant and controversial findings are discussed.

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Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank all the participants and Professor Paul Barrett, Dr. Danna Van Niekerk, Dr. Alasdair Macdonald, and Miss Sara Siddiqui for their feedback and suggestions.

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  1. Department of Psychological Services, Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, 13 Portland Square, Carlise, CA1 1PT, UK

    Miodrag Popovic

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  1. Miodrag Popovic
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Correspondence to Miodrag Popovic.

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Popovic, M. Pornography Use and Closeness with Others in Men. Arch Sex Behav 40, 449–456 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-010-9648-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-010-9648-6

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