A recent study published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior offers new insights into how labeling oneself as addicted to pornography might influence both personal and relational outcomes. The study found that while identifying as addicted to pornography is linked with various negative outcomes, it is particularly associated with communication discomfort about pornography and a higher likelihood of relationship dissolution. Notably, these relationship outcomes persisted even after accounting for the degree to which individuals reported their pornography use as compulsive or difficult to control.
Instead, “problematic pornography use” refers to cases where individuals’ consumption of pornography becomes excessive, dysregulated, and has a negative impact on their lives. This might manifest as an inability to control one’s use despite wanting to stop, leading to personal distress, relationship problems, or interference with daily responsibilities.
The term “problematic pornography use” is preferred over “addiction” in the scientific community for several reasons. One key reason is that the term “addiction” carries significant stigma and moral judgment, which can exacerbate negative outcomes for individuals who feel they have a problem with pornography. While “addiction” has long been associated with substance use disorders, its application to behaviors like pornography use remains controversial, partly because behavioral addictions are not universally recognized in diagnostic criteria such as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).
Previous research has shown that the way individuals perceive and label their pornography use can lead to negative psychological and relational consequences. The researchers aimed to investigate whether identifying as addicted—rather than simply feeling out of control—contributes uniquely to these negative outcomes.
The study involved a sample of 1,099 participants, all of whom had some history of pornography use and were currently in a romantic relationship. The participants were recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk), an online platform frequently used for social science research due to its accessibility and relatively diverse sample pool. The participants completed a 10-15 minute survey that asked about their pornography use, their thoughts on their use, and how it impacted both their personal psychological state and their relationship dynamics.
The key variable of interest was how strongly participants agreed with the statement, “I would consider myself addicted to pornography,” rated on a scale from 1 (very strongly disagree) to 6 (very strongly agree). The researchers also measured participants’ compulsive pornography use—how much they felt their use was out of control—using the Sexual Compulsivity Scale.
The researchers found that participants who identified as addicted to pornography experienced a variety of negative outcomes. Initially, before accounting for compulsivity, those who agreed more strongly with the label of addiction reported higher levels of depression, suicidal thoughts, discomfort communicating about pornography with their partner, and a higher likelihood of having a relationship end due to pornography use. Importantly, these associations were found even after controlling for how often participants actually used pornography and other demographic factors.
However, when compulsive behavior was added into the analysis, a more nuanced picture emerged. The link between identifying as addicted and personal psychological outcomes—such as depression and suicidal ideation—disappeared once compulsivity was accounted for. This suggests that it is the sense of losing control over pornography use, rather than the label of addiction itself, that is driving the connection to depression and suicidal thoughts.
In contrast, identifying as addicted remained significantly associated with relationship outcomes even when compulsivity was considered. Participants who labeled themselves as addicted were still more likely to report communication discomfort around pornography use and a higher likelihood of having experienced a relationship end solely due to their pornography use. This indicates that the addiction label may uniquely affect relationships, contributing to challenges such as difficulty discussing pornography with a partner and greater relationship instability.
“The main takeaway from the findings is that individuals need to be cautious in labeling their behavior surrounding pornography use,” said study author Carson R. Dover, a research assistant at Brigham Young University. “There seems to be a stigma around the label ‘addict’ which may hinder progress toward individuals overcoming their perceived problematic use. This also means that for people who are confided in about someone else’s pornography use, we should focus on helping the individual with what they need rather than labeling them in a certain way which may not be beneficial.”
But it is important to note that the study’s design was cross-sectional, meaning it only captured data at one point in time. This makes it difficult to determine the direction of cause and effect. For instance, while the researchers found that identifying as addicted was linked to negative relationship outcomes, it is possible that people in troubled relationships may be more likely to label themselves as addicted to pornography, rather than the label causing the relationship issues.
Additionally, the data was collected almost ten years ago, and pornography use and the technology surrounding it have evolved since then. “The major caveat to this paper is that it is only one study with one sample,” Dover explained. “While we did find significant results, more studies need to continue to address this topic and understand more about the “addict” label.”
“I hope that these findings empower people to acknowledge the struggles and issues surrounding pornography use in a meaningful way, and change their behavior if desired,” Dover said. “In other words, I want these findings to help people understand that they can change their behavior instead of giving up because they think that their ‘addiction’ makes them powerless.”
The study, “Labels Are For Soup Cans: How Self‑Labeling as ‘Addicted’ to Pornography Is Associated with Negative Outcomes,” was authored by Carson R.Dover, Nathan D. Leonhardt, and Michelle H. Edwards.
