Pornography-induced arousal predicts declines in relationship satisfaction and stability, study finds

A study conducted in Australia found that individuals who reported being more easily sexually aroused by pornography tended to experience a decrease in sexual satisfaction, as well as in relationship quality and stability, over the following two months. The paper was published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior.

Sexual arousal is a physiological and psychological response to sexual stimuli. It is regulated by the nervous system and hormones, particularly dopamine, oxytocin, and testosterone. Physical signs of sexual arousal include an increased heart rate, genital swelling, vaginal lubrication in females, and erection in males.

Sexual arousal plays an important role in the functioning and stability of romantic relationships. When a person is sexually aroused by their partner, they are more likely to feel motivated to engage with their partner and enjoy satisfying sexual activity. Such individuals are also more inclined to invest effort in maintaining the relationship.

However, a romantic partner is not the only source of sexual arousal. People can become aroused by sexual fantasies, as well as by pornography. Research indicates that 70–80% of men and 35–60% of women in romantic relationships report using pornography.

The study’s authors, Nicholas J. Lawless and Gery C. Karantzas, sought to explore the association between pornography use and the stability and quality of romantic relationships, as well as sexual satisfaction. They hypothesized that individuals who are sexually aroused by their romantic partners would experience improvements in relationship quality over time. However, they were uncertain whether arousal to pornography would be linked to improvements or declines in relationship quality and sought to investigate this further.

The study included 309 participants, aged between 18 and 72, who reported being in a romantic relationship for at least six months. Sixty-six percent identified as heterosexual, and 25% as bisexual. On average, participants had been with their current partner for seven years. Nine percent reported being in a non-monogamous relationship, and 71% had no children.

Participants completed online assessments measuring arousal to their partner (e.g., “When I looked at my partner, I felt sexually aroused”), arousal to pornography (e.g., “When I thought about using pornography, I felt turned on”), relationship quality (e.g., “How satisfied are you with your relationship?”), relationship stability (e.g., “I find myself wishing that my partner and I weren’t romantically involved”), and sexual satisfaction (e.g., “My sex life is fulfilling”). Two months later, participants completed the same set of assessments again. The second survey also included a measure of socially desirable responding.

Results showed that participants who reported higher levels of arousal toward their romantic partner tended to have better relationship quality, greater stability, and higher sexual satisfaction in both surveys. In contrast, individuals who reported greater arousal to pornography in the initial survey were more likely to report lower relationship stability and reduced sexual satisfaction two months later. They also tended to use pornography more frequently.

“Our findings suggest that porn arousal is associated with reductions in an array of relational outcomes over time. These findings have important implications for future research in understanding how feeling sexually aroused by porn can have negative downstream effects on relationship well-being,” the study authors concluded.

While the study sheds light on the links between pornography use and relationship quality, it is important to note that the sample was drawn from an online population, which may not reflect the broader general population. Results from more representative samples may differ.

The paper “Porn or Partner Arousal? When It Comes to Romantic Relationships, Not All Sexual Arousal Is Equal: A Prospective Study” was authored by Nicholas J. Lawless and Gery C. Karantzas.