Moderating Role of Sexual Attitudes in the Association between Online Sexual Activity and Problematic Pornography Use: Evidence from the Chinese Community and Help-Seeking Men

Lijun Chen; Dian Wang; Haihua Wang; Ying Zhang; Xiaoliu Jiang

doi:10.1080/19317611.2023.2257688

Moderating Role of Sexual Attitudes in the Association between Online Sexual Activity and Problematic Pornography Use: Evidence from the Chinese Community and Help-Seeking Men

Int J Sex Health. 2023 Nov 29;35(4):555-572. doi: 10.1080/19317611.2023.2257688. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Lijun Chen¹, Dian Wang¹, Haihua Wang¹, Ying Zhang², Xiaoliu Jiang³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology, Fuzhou University, Fuzhou, China.
² Department of Physical Education, Fuzhou University, 2 Wulongjiangbei Avenue, Fuzhou, Fujian Province, 350108, China.
³ Department of Social Psychology, Zhou Enlai School of Government, Nankai University, Tianjin, China.

PMID: 38601807
PMCID: PMC10903587 (available on 2024-11-29)
DOI: 10.1080/19317611.2023.2257688

Abstract

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the moderating role of sexual attitudes in the association between online sexual activity (OSA) and problematic pornography use (PPU) in the Chinese context. Specifically, we examined whether incongruence stemming from attitudes (i.e., disapproval of nonmarital and casual sex but engaging in OSA) amplifies the perception of PPU.

Methods: We recruited two samples of Chinese men, one from the community (N₁ = 525) and the other comprising help-seeking individuals (N₂ = 578).

Results: Sexual attitudes moderate the relationship between OSA and PPU in both samples, with the predictive influence of OSA on PPU weakening among individuals with a relatively permissive attitude (scored one SD above the mean of sexual attitudes), and strengthened among individuals with a relatively conservative attitude (scored one SD below the mean of sexual attitudes).

Conclusions: In the conservative sexual cultural context of China, a relatively conservative sexual attitude might strengthen the association between OSA and PPU.

Keywords: Online sexual activity (OSA); conservative cultural context; problematic pornography use (PPU); sexual attitudes.

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the National Social Science Foundation of China [Grant No. 19BSH117].