Relationship quality predicts online sexual activities among Chinese heterosexual men and women in committed relationships

Cybersex and Attachment Styles: Proposal of the Emotional and Relational Aspects in Cybersex Activities (ERACA) Questionnaire

The current study presents the development and the initial validation of a new questionnaire to assess individual differences in emotional and relational aspects related to cybersex activities (i.e., the ERACA). A total of 246 adults (105 females, mean age = 31.89 years, SD = 10.03) coming from the general adult population participated in the study. The items of the ERACA were developed considering the extant literature, and an exploratory factor analysis approach indicated a three-factor structure (i.e., the gratification of the Self through the objectification of other people, the gratification of the Self through relational aspects, betrayal, and infidelity). The associations between the dimensions of the ERACA and dimensional measures of both attachment styles and online sexual behaviors indicated that different aspects related to the quality of the relationships play a different role in individual differences concerning emotional and relational aspects of cybersex activities. The discussion emphasizes the potential usefulness of the ERACA questionnaire for both research purposes and from a health-promoting point of view.

Sex Differences in Attention and Attitude Toward Infant and Sexual Images

Reproduction in mammals includes two general categories of behaviors: mating and parenting. Historically and cross-culturally, men invest more than women in mating; women invest more than men in parenting. Sex differences in attention and attitude toward mating and parenting stimuli have rarely been assessed together despite theoretical interest. To evaluate these differences simultaneously in a naturalistic setting, 582 study participants (459 women, 123 men) were presented with sexual and infant images, online in the privacy of their home, at three time periods spanning several weeks for a more reliable result. Attention was measured by covertly recording viewing time of images using Qualtrics software, and attitude was measured via self-report after each viewing session. Men reported a more positive attitude than women toward the sexual images; women reported a more positive attitude than men toward the infant images. Women viewed the infant images marginally longer than did men, and the infant-to-sexual viewing ratio was larger for women. The sexual-to-infant viewing ratio was larger for men than for women. Unexpectedly, both genders viewed the sexual images longer than the infant images, with no significant gender difference in the sexual image viewing time. The results suggest that women and men may give equal attention to visual sexual stimuli despite self-reported sex differences in interest. The possibly underestimated valence of visual sexual stimuli for women is discussed.

Difficulties in Emotion Regulation and Problematic Pornography Use: The Mediating Role of Loneliness

Objectives

To analyze the association between difficulties in emotion regulation and problematic pornography use (PPU) and test the mediating effect of loneliness.

Methods

All 339 participants (M = 28.53 years, SD = 10.32) completed online self-report scales assessing difficulties in emotion regulation, PPU, and loneliness.

Results

Difficulties in emotion regulation are positively correlated with PPU. Loneliness partially mediates the relationship between difficulties in emotion regulation and PPU. Gender and intimate relationship status had moderating effects on the tested mediation model.

Conclusions

Greater difficulties in emotion regulation have a significant indirect effect on PPU through loneliness.

Factors Affecting Online Infidelity: A Review

Online infidelity has been a topic of discussion for the past two decades. Hence, while it is on the agenda of current researches, the associated factors of online infidelity have not yet been sufficiently clarified. The current review examines factors affecting online infidelity in line with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis guidelines. In the review the studies were included considering the criteria of (i) being an empirical study, (ii) being written in Turkish or English, (iii) being published in peer-reviewed journals (iv), evaluating at least one factor that may affect online infidelity. Eight studies which include factors affecting online infidelity were examined and the findings of these studies were evaluated. More positive attitudes towards infidelity, lower relationship commitment, higher quality of alternative partners, lower marital quality, higher loneliness, lower relationship satisfaction, higher relationship uncertainty, anxious and avoidant attachment, and being in a strong position were found significantly associated with online infidelity.

Desire thinking and craving as predictors of problematic Internet pornography use in women and men

INTRODUCTION

According to the recent adaptation of the I-PACE model, desire thinking and craving might be closely related to problematic Internet pornography use. The overall aim of the present study was to investigate the role of two components of desire thinking (imaginal prefiguration and verbal perseveration) and craving in problematic Internet pornography use. Furthermore, we examined gender differences in the underlying mechanism linking desire thinking to problematic Internet pornography use.

METHOD

A total of 414 Italian adults (mean age = 27.55 years, SD = 6.13; age range = 18-58; 53.6 % men) participated in this study. Participants completed an online survey to assess problematic Internet pornography use, pornography craving, desire thinking and problematic Internet use. Path analyses and a multi-group approach were used to test the relationships among variables and to explore gender differences.

RESULTS

Imaginal prefiguration was associated to pornography craving which, in turn, was associated to verbal perseveration as proximal antecedent of problematic Internet pornography use, above and beyond the effect of age, relationship status, and problematic Internet use. Two paths significantly differed between men and women: the path between verbal perseveration and problematic Internet pornography, which for women was weaker and did not reach significance; and the path between problematic Internet use and problematic Internet pornography use that was not significant for women.

CONCLUSIONS

In line with the I-PACE model, the present study provided support for the potential role of desire thinking in problematic Internet pornography use as a specific Internet-use disorder and expanded the literature in the field by testing unexplored gender differences. Preventive and clinical implications are discussed.

Sexually Explicit Online Media Use and Sexual Behavior among Sexual Minority Men in Portugal

Introduction: This study aimed to describe sexually explicit online media (SEOM) use among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Portugal and to examine any associations between exposure to SEOM depicting unprotected anal intercourse and engaging in unprotected anal sex. Methods: This study recruited 1577 MSM living in Portugal with Internet access, who ranged in age from 18 to 74 years old (M_age = 35.69, SD_age = 11.16). Participants were recruited via websites, e-mail and social media. 67.3% (n = 1061) of sample participants self-identified as gay, and 32.7% (n = 516) claimed to be bisexual. The survey included four categories of questions/measurements, encompassing demographic information, SEOM use, explicit imagery of protected/unprotected anal sex and sexual behavior. Results: The study results suggest that Portuguese MSM frequently use SEOM and that they possess a stated preference for SEOM displaying unprotected anal sex. Furthermore, this study’s findings indicate that self-identified gay men more frequently engage in unprotected sex than self-identified bisexual men. Finally, the study revealed that a preference for viewing SEOM displaying unprotected sex and higher levels of arousal attributed to direct SEOM exposure are significant predictors of having receptive anal sex without condoms.

The Webs We Weave: Predicting Infidelity Motivations and Extradyadic Relationship Satisfaction

The current study examined relationships between sociosexual constructs and motivations for infidelity in a currently cheating sample. Members of the AshleyMadison.com website who were actively using the website to search for and/or engage in infidelity completed a brief anonymous online survey. Our findings supported previous research regarding emotional and sexual motivations for infidelity. However, we also found that various individual differences were connected to each type of motive. For example, sexual motivations for infidelity were best predicted by being male, having an unrestricted sociosexual orientation, experiencing less sex guilt, having greater Christian identification, and being less satisfied with the primary partner. Importantly, these were not the same patterns for each type of motivation (e.g., anger). Finally, participants' satisfaction with their secondary (i.e., infidelity) partners was not consistently predicted by the motivations for infidelity. This suggests that an individual-differences approach to predicting issues related to infidelity is an important approach for future research.

Mobile sex-tech apps: How use differs across global areas of high and low gender equality

Digital technologies are increasingly intertwined into people's sexual lives, with growing scholarly interest in the intersection of sex and technology (sex-tech). However, much of the literature is limited by its over emphasis on negative outcomes and the predominance of work by and about North Americans, creating the impression that sex-tech is largely a Western phenomenon. Based on responses from 130,885 women in 191 countries, we assessed how women around the world interact with mobile technology for sex-related purposes, and whether in areas of greater gender inequality, technological accessibility may be empowering women with knowledge about sexuality. We investigated women's use of technology to find sexual partners, learn about sex and improve their sexual relationships, and track their own sexual health. About one-fifth reported using mobile apps to find sexual partners. This use varied by region: about one-third in Oceania, one-fourth in Europe and the Americas, and one-fifth in Asia and Africa. Staying connected when apart was the most commonly selected reason for app use with a sexual partner. About one-third had used an app to track their own sexual activity. Very few reported that the app they used to improve their sexual relationships was detrimental (0.2%) or not useful (0.6%). Women in countries with greater gender inequality were less likely to have used mobile apps to find a sexual partner, but nearly four times more likely to have engaged in sending and receiving sexts. To our knowledge, this study provides the most comprehensive global data on sex-tech use thus far, demonstrates significant regional variations in sex-tech use, and is the first to examine women's engagement in sex-related mobile technology in locations with greater gender disparities. These findings may inform large-scale targeted studies, interventions, and sex education to improve the lives of women around the world.

Relationship Satisfaction and Infidelity-Related Behaviors on Social Networks: A Preliminary Online Study of Hispanic Women

The purpose of this online study was to develop an explicative model regarding the origin of infidelity-related behaviors on social networks for Hispanic women. We propose that sexual satisfaction and emotional intimacy have a direct impact on the satisfaction of couple relationships, and an indirect impact in the development of infidelity-related behaviors on social networks. To investigate this proposal, we used a non-probabilistic sample of 341 Hispanic women living in Puerto Rico. Statistical analyses confirmed that satisfaction and ambivalence in couple relationship completely mediate the association between sexual satisfaction and infidelity-related behaviors on social networks, as well as the relationship between emotional intimacy and infidelity-related behaviors on social networks. Overall, women who practice infidelity-related behaviors on social networks showed less sexual satisfaction, less emotional intimacy, less relationship satisfaction, and greater ambivalence. Our results provide theoretical and empirical evidence on how infidelity-related behaviors on social networks develop in couple relationships, and these results could help to inform possible forms of prevention and intervention.

Influences of Sociosexuality and Commitment on Online Sexual Activities: The Mediating Effect of Perceptions of Infidelity

The perceived infidelity of online sexual activity (OSA) has been noted as an important factor contributing to individual differences in OSA among people in romantic relationships. We proposed that two major factors related to infidelity-sociosexuality (willingness to engage in uncommitted sexual relationships) and commitment-might be associated with engaging in OSA via the perceived infidelity of OSA among individuals in romantic relationships. OSAs were classified as viewing sexually explicit material, seeking sexual partners, cybersex, and flirting. Participants were 313 heterosexuals in romantic relationships who completed measures of OSA experience, sociosexuality, commitment, and perceptions of infidelity. The results showed that more unrestricted sociosexuality and less commitment were associated with more frequent engagement in OSAs. Moreover, perceptions of infidelity mediated these associations of sociosexuality and commitment with OSA. These findings suggest that perceived infidelity is important for understanding the mechanism underlying people's engagement in OSA.

The relationship between sexual sensation seeking and problematic Internet pornography use: A moderated mediation model examining roles of online sexual activities and the third-person effect

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Internet pornography consumption is prevalent among college students and problematic for some, yet little is known regarding the psychological constructs underlying problematic Internet pornography use (PIPU). Drawing on the Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution model, this study tested a model that sexual sensation seeking (SSS) would impact PIPU through online sexual activities (OSAs) and that this relationship would be influenced by the third-person effect (TPE; a social cognitive bias relating to perceived impacts on others as compared to oneself) in a gender-sensitive manner.

METHODS

A total of 808 Chinese college students (age range: 17-22 years, 57.7% male) were recruited and surveyed.

RESULTS

Men scored higher than women on OSAs and PIPU and on each scale's component factors. The relationship between SSS and PIPU was mediated by OSAs, and the TPE moderated this relationship: the predictive path (SSS to PIPU) was significant only in participants with high TPE. The moderated mediation model was not invariant across gender groups, with data suggesting that it accounted for a greater proportion of the variance in men as compared with women.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that SSS may operate through participation in OSAs to lead to PIPU, and this relationship is particularly relevant for college-aged males scoring high on the TPE. These findings have implications for individuals who might be particularly vulnerable to developing PIPU and for guiding educational efforts and targeting interventions in college-aged students. The extent to which these findings extend to other age groups and cultures warrants further examination.

Influence of the Perceived Infidelity of Online Sexual Activities (OSAs) on OSA Experiences Among Chinese Heterosexual Individuals in Committed Relationships

Previous studies have revealed that many individuals in settled relationships engage in online sexual activities (OSAs). Considering this, this study examined the influence the perceived infidelity of OSA has on the OSA experiences of individuals in such committed relationships. OSAs involve viewing sexually explicit material, seeking sexual partners, cybersex, and flirting. Taking these specific activities, we measured perceived infidelity concerning OSAs by asking our participants (N = 301) to select either "yes" or "no" in regard to whether they believed each constituted an infidelity. Further, the participants also mentioned if they had engaged in an OSA within the past 12 months and whether they considered engaging in OSA in general as an infidelity. Our results indicated that men are less likely to perceive OSAs as infidelities, and also that they engage more frequently than women in all subtypes of OSA. More specifically, individuals who did not perceive OSAs to be infidelities engaged in more sexual-partner seeking, cybersex, and flirting than their counterparts. Furthermore, perceived infidelity was found to mediate the relationship between gender and OSA experiences. The findings indicate that perceived infidelity for OSA shapes OSA experiences and contributes to gender differences in terms of opinions on and engagement with OSAs.