The Associations of Pornography Use and Body Image Among Heterosexual and Sexual Minority Men

Ateret Gewirtz-Meydan, Beáta Bőthe, Zohar Spivak-Lavi

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between pornography use and men’s body image, utilizing the social comparison theory as the theoretical framework. The research focused on a moderated mediation model, examining the role of social body comparison as a mediator between pornography use (frequency and problematic use) and men’s body image. The sample consisted of 726 men aged 18–68, with 223 (30.7%) identifying as sexual minorities. Sexual minority men reported higher levels of pornography use frequency, problematic use, perceived realism, social body comparison, negative body image, and psychological distress compared to heterosexual men. Findings revealed that problematic pornography use (but not frequency of use) was related to higher levels of social body comparison, which, in turn, were related to higher levels of negative body image. The perceived realism in pornography did not moderate the examined associations. Clinicians should consider the impact of the relationship between pornography and body image among men.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)3379-3392
Number of pages14
JournalArchives of Sexual Behavior
Volume53
Issue number9
Early online date7 Aug 2024
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 2024
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2024.

Keywords

  • Body image
  • Pornography use frequency
  • Problematic pornography use
  • Sexual minority men
  • Sexual orientation
  • Social comparison

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