A recent study sheds light on how problematic pornography use may contribute to negative body image through the mechanism of social comparison. The study, published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior, reveals that men who experience difficulties controlling their pornography consumption are more likely to engage in social comparisons with the idealized male bodies they see, which in turn can lead to dissatisfaction with their own bodies.
While the impact of social media on body image has been extensively researched, particularly in women, the effects of pornography on men’s body image have received far less attention. This study was designed to fill that gap, exploring how pornography use relates to men’s perceptions of their bodies.
The researchers aimed to investigate whether problematic pornography use—characterized by an inability to control consumption despite negative consequences—could lead to increased social comparison and, subsequently, to a more negative body image. Given the pervasiveness of pornography and the often unrealistic body standards it portrays, the study sought to determine whether these effects are more pronounced among men who find their pornography use problematic.
The study involved 726 men aged 18 to 68, with an average age of 32.5 years. The sample was diverse, including a significant proportion of sexual minority men—about one-third of the participants identified as gay, bisexual, or another non-heterosexual orientation.
Participants were asked to complete a series of questionnaires measuring various aspects of their pornography use, body image, and social comparison tendencies. The frequency of pornography use was assessed by asking how often they had viewed pornography in the past six months, with responses ranging from “never” to “almost every day.” Problematic pornography use was measured using the Problematic Pornography Consumption Scale, which gauges the degree of distress and life interference caused by pornography consumption.
Body image was evaluated using the Male Body Attitudes Scale, a tool that measures men’s satisfaction with various aspects of their bodies. Social comparison was assessed using a scale that asks how often participants compare their appearance to others they perceive as more attractive. The researchers also measured perceived realism of pornography, asking participants to what extent they believe the bodies they see in pornography are representative of real life.
The frequency of pornography use alone was not significantly related to either social comparison or body image dissatisfaction. In other words, just watching a lot of pornography did not necessarily make men feel worse about their bodies.
However, for those who reported problematic pornography use, the picture was different. Men who struggled to control their pornography consumption were more likely to engage in upward social comparisons, meaning they compared themselves to others they perceived as better looking. These comparisons, in turn, were strongly associated with negative body image.
The findings suggest that men who had difficulty managing their pornography use tended to feel worse about their own bodies because they compared themselves unfavorably to the idealized images they saw on screen.
The study also revealed important differences between heterosexual and sexual minority men. Sexual minority men reported higher levels of problematic pornography use, more frequent social comparisons, and greater body dissatisfaction than their heterosexual counterparts. Although the mechanism — problematic pornography use leading to social comparison, which then affects body image — was consistent across both groups, the impact appeared to be more pronounced among sexual minority men. This finding aligns with other research suggesting that sexual minority men face additional pressures regarding body image, possibly due to internalized societal standards or stigma within their communities.
A key limitation to consider is the cross-sectional design of the study, which means that the data was collected at a single point in time. This design prevents the researchers from drawing definitive conclusions about cause and effect.
For example, while problematic pornography use was associated with negative body image, it is unclear whether the pornography use led to the body dissatisfaction, or whether men who were already dissatisfied with their bodies were more likely to develop problematic pornography habits. Longitudinal or experimental studies, which track participants over time or manipulate variables to observe causal effects, would be needed to clarify these relationships.
Additionally, the study’s measures of body image dissatisfaction did not include specific questions about distortions commonly portrayed in pornography, such as those related to penis size. Future research could benefit from more detailed measures that capture these specific concerns.
“This study provides support for the associations of problematic pornography use, and body image, via social body comparison with and without controlling for psychological distress,” the researchers concluded. “Some differences were found between heterosexual and sexual minority men, with sexual minority men reporting significantly higher levels of pornography use frequency, problematic pornography use, perceived realism in pornography, social body comparison, negative body image, and more psychological distress than did heterosexual men.”
“Among heterosexual and sexual minority men, problematic pornography use was positively related to social body comparison, which, in turn, was positively related to negative body image. Body image and social body comparison should be addressed in therapy for problematic pornography use, and differences between heterosexual men and sexual minority men should be taken into account.”
The study, “The Associations of Pornography Use and Body Image Among Heterosexual and Sexual Minority Men,” was authored by Ateret Gewirtz-Meydan, Beáta Bőthe, and Zohar Spivak-Lavi.