Large analysis connects specific personality traits to problematic internet pornography use

People who exhibit high levels of impulsivity, sexual compulsivity, and neuroticism are more likely to struggle with problematic internet pornography consumption, according to a recent review of past research. The large analysis also found that traits like conscientiousness and self-control correspond with lower rates of pornography use overall. The findings were published in the journal Communication Research.

Internet pornography is widely accessible and highly popular, with many adults consuming it for leisure, curiosity, or to enhance intimate relationships. While this consumption is casual for most viewers, a subset of people develop what psychologists call problematic use. This pattern of behavior is characterized by emotional distress, feelings of addiction, and negative impacts on a person’s daily life or relationships.

Understanding what drives someone toward problematic consumption can help clinicians identify at-risk individuals and design better treatment protocols. Mehdi Akbari, a clinical psychologist at Kharazmi University in Iran, led a team to investigate how various psychological profiles correspond with different viewing habits. The researchers aggregated data from dozens of past studies to paint a detailed picture of the psychological vulnerabilities associated with unregulated viewing.

Akbari and his colleagues conducted a meta-analysis, a statistical technique that combines the results of multiple independent studies to identify broad trends. They searched academic databases for previous research measuring internet pornography use alongside personality traits or relationship attachment styles. Attachment styles refer to how people emotionally bond with others, often categorized as secure, anxious, or avoidant.

The final analysis included 51 studies published between 2005 and 2024. These studies encompassed a large sample of 45,808 participants from various countries, with an average age of 38. The researchers divided the data into two categories based on how the original studies measured viewing habits: general internet pornography use and problematic internet pornography use.

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The strongest psychological correlate across all the data was sexual compulsivity, which is defined as an intrusive, repetitive urge to engage in sexual behaviors. People scoring high in sexual compulsivity were heavily represented among those reporting problematic pornography habits. Impulsivity, or the tendency to act without planning or considering long-term consequences, showed the second strongest positive link to problematic consumption.

The researchers also found positive correlations between overall pornography use and traits like sensation-seeking and narcissism. Sensation-seeking involves a desire for novel and varied experiences, which the internet’s endless supply of adult content easily fulfills. Narcissism, which involves excessive self-focus and a desire for idealized experiences, might draw individuals to the highly curated and flawless sexual scenarios frequently depicted in commercial pornography.

The analysis also evaluated the “Big Five” personality traits, a standard psychological model that measures extraversion, agreeableness, openness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism. Neuroticism, which involves a tendency to experience negative emotions like anxiety and sadness, was positively correlated with both general and problematic pornography use. People with high neuroticism might turn to online sexual content as a coping mechanism to manage or escape their emotional distress.

Two other Big Five traits, extraversion and openness, were positively correlated with general pornography consumption. Extraversion measures a person’s sociability and preference for stimulation, while openness reflects curiosity and a willingness to try new things. Individuals high in these traits might be more inclined to explore diverse digital environments, though these specific measurements were not statistically significant in their relation to problematic or addictive viewing patterns.

Conversely, the analysis revealed that conscientiousness and self-control correspond with lower pornography consumption. Conscientiousness involves being goal-oriented, organized, and capable of delaying gratification. Individuals with high scores in these areas reported lower levels of both general and problematic viewing, suggesting that self-discipline acts as a protective buffer against developing behavioral addictions.

Agreeableness, a trait characterized by a cooperative and harmonious disposition toward others, was also linked to lower overall consumption. The researchers noted that highly agreeable people often maintain successful interpersonal relationships offline. This real-world social success might make them less likely to use online activities as a compensatory strategy for loneliness or unmet psychological needs.

When examining attachment styles, the team found a positive link between anxious attachment and problematic pornography use. Anxiously attached individuals tend to worry about being rejected or abandoned by their romantic partners. The researchers suggested that these individuals might prefer pornography because it provides sexual stimulation without the risk of interpersonal rejection.

The research team tested whether demographic factors like age and gender altered the strength of these psychological correlations. Although pornography consumption is generally higher among men than women, the statistical links between specific personality traits and viewing habits remained consistent regardless of gender. The associations also held steady across different age groups, indicating that these psychological vulnerabilities operate similarly in both young adults and older populations.

Because the analysis relies on observational data, the results only show correlations and cannot prove that certain personality traits cause problematic pornography use. It is possible that the relationship works in the opposite direction, where excessive viewing alters a person’s self-control or heightens their neuroticism over time. Both factors could also be driven by an unmeasured third variable, such as an underlying mood disorder or an environmental stressor.

Many of the included studies relied on participants from Western, industrialized nations, meaning the results might not perfectly reflect the habits of a global population. The researchers also noted that differing definitions of internet pornography across the original 51 studies made it difficult to establish perfectly uniform measurements. Small sample sizes for some specific traits, like the relationship between narcissism and problematic use, prevented the team from running deeper statistical comparisons.

Future investigations will need to look at specific clinical populations and explore how different genres of pornography interact with individual psychological differences. Tracking these viewing habits over a longer period would help clarify how specific personality traits influence digital media consumption as people age. In the meantime, clinical psychologists can use these behavioral profiles to better support individuals struggling with unregulated digital habits.

The study, “Personality, Attachment, and Pornography: A Meta-Analysis,” was authored by Mehdi Akbari, Shiva Jamshidi, Zahra Sadat Hosseini, Sonay Sheikhi, Rezvaneh Asadi Asadabad, Mahshid Zamani, and Paul J. Wright.