Abstract Problematic involvement in cybersex is generally considered to be an excessive and uncontrolled use of online sexual activities associated with tangible negative outcomes and functional ...impairment. To date, there is no consensus in the literature regarding the conceptualization and labeling of this disorder, or of its diagnosis and assessment (e.g., screening questionnaires and diagnostic criteria). Through a systematic examination of the literature, we emphasize that problematic cybersex is an umbrella construct that regroups various types of distinct dysfunctional online behaviors. Despite a considerable increase in studies on problematic cybersex, no clear diagnostic guidelines exist for clinicians and researchers. Moreover, the factors involved in the development and maintenance of the disorder remain poorly examined, and the evidence regarding valid assessment and treatment are lacking.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
Cybersex encompasses a wide range of behaviors that use information and communication technologies as a means of access to obtain sexual gratification, a phenomenon that can take on problematic ...patterns. The main objective of the study is to propose a model that explains the extent to which online sexual activities and the negative emotionality associated with them can generate a tolerance phenomenon characterized by an increase in the frequency and intensity of cybersex behaviors. To this end, the Cybersex Behavioral Assessment Questionnaire was administered to a sample of 369 individuals. The results show that online sexual behavior and the presence of negative emotions during the performance of these activities influence the occurrence of tolerance, which is characterized by an increase and variety of activities with increasingly extreme typology. These findings may have implications for education and healthcare.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
This study tested the Spectrum hypothesis of problematic online behaviors (POBs) which posits that POBs (e.g., online gaming, gambling, sexual activities, and social networking) constitute distinct, ...yet related constructs. To overcome the limitations of previous research, we recruited a representative sample of young men and capitalized on a common assessment approach (Fifth version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-5 and Eleventh version of the International Classification of Diseases ICD-11 frameworks). The study was a single-center, observational study with a cross-sectional design (n = 2620). All targeted behaviors were assessed using the proposed criteria of the DSM-5 and the ICD-11. The correlation analysis showed that online activities were weakly correlated (0.01 ≤ r ≤ 0.19), suggesting that when people engage in one specific online activity to a problematic extent, they do not necessarily engage in several online activities in an excessive way. Using a network analysis, we showed that various POBs might reflect distinct constructs. The community detection analysis identified four communities of items corresponding to each POB. Our robust methodology and sampling strategy suggests that the construct of “Internet addiction” could be misleading. This epistemological shift might be necessary to develop adequate clinical care and public health measures to address POBs.
•Various problematic online behaviors (POBs) reflected distinct constructs.•The construct of “Internet addiction” is misleading and empirically untenable.•This study contributed to the scientific debate about their conceptualization and classification, of POBs.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
An important ongoing debate in the addiction field is whether certain technology-mediated behaviors constitute tenable and independent constructs. This study investigated whether problematic ...technology-mediated behaviors could be conceptualized as a spectrum of related, yet distinct disorders (spectrum hypothesis), using the network approach, which considers disorders as networks of symptoms. We used data from the Cohort Study on Substance Use and Risk Factors (C-SURF; Swiss National Science Foundation), with a representative sample of young Swiss men (subsample of participants engaged in technology-mediated behaviors, n = 3,404). Four technology-mediated addictive behaviors were investigated using symptoms derived from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.) and the component model of addiction: Internet, smartphone, gaming, and cybersex. Network analyses included network estimation and visualization, community detection tests, and centrality indices. The network analysis identified four distinct clusters corresponding to each condition, but only Internet addiction had numerous relationships with the other behaviors. This finding, along with the finding that there were few relationships between the other behaviors, suggests that smartphone addiction, gaming addiction, and cybersex addiction are relatively independent constructs. Internet Addiction was often connected with other conditions through the same symptoms, suggesting that it could be conceptualized as an "umbrella construct," that is, a common vector that mediates specific online behaviors. The network analysis thus provides a preliminary support to the spectrum hypothesis and the focus on the specific activities performed online, while showing that the construct of Internet addiction is inadequate.
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CEKLJ, FFLJ, NUK, ODKLJ, PEFLJ, UPUK
Background and aims. Cybersex is increasingly associated with concerns about compulsive use. The aim of this study was to assess the roles of motives and sexual desire in the compulsive use of ...cybersex. Methods. The sample consisted of 306 cybersex users (150 men and 156 women). The participants were assessed using the Compulsive Internet Use Scale (CIUS) adapted for cybersex, the Cybersex Motives Questionnaire (enhancement, coping, and social motives), and the Sexual Desire Inventory-2 (dyadic and solitary sexual desire). Results. For both genders, coping motive was associated with CIUS score. For women, an additional association with social motives was found whereas an association with sexual desire was found for men. Conclusion. The study showed gender differences in the contributors to sex-related CIUS scores.
In the last few years, there has been a wave of articles related to behavioral addictions; some of them have a focus on online pornography addiction. However, despite all efforts, we are still unable ...to profile when engaging in this behavior becomes pathological. Common problems include: sample bias, the search for diagnostic instrumentals, opposing approximations to the matter, and the fact that this entity may be encompassed inside a greater pathology (i.e., sex addiction) that may present itself with very diverse symptomatology. Behavioral addictions form a largely unexplored field of study, and usually exhibit a problematic consumption model: loss of control, impairment, and risky use. Hypersexual disorder fits this model and may be composed of several sexual behaviors, like problematic use of online pornography (POPU). Online pornography use is on the rise, with a potential for addiction considering the "triple A" influence (accessibility, affordability, anonymity). This problematic use might have adverse effects in sexual development and sexual functioning, especially among the young population. We aim to gather existing knowledge on problematic online pornography use as a pathological entity. Here we try to summarize what we know about this entity and outline some areas worthy of further research.
Women frequently send sexualized nude images to men (i.e., nudes), but women's motivations for sending nudes are unclear because there are methodological limitations in the ways that cyber sexual ...activity has been defined and measured. To address these gaps in the literature, we employed a mixed method triangulation design to assess young women's motivations for sending nudes to men, and how motivations compare when measured qualitatively and quantitatively. Across our qualitative and quantitative data, we found that women endorsed a plethora of motivations for sending nudes to men—far more than any one approach captured. The open-ended responses revealed positive sexual motives otherwise missing from the quantitative scales, which tended to overrepresent negative motivations. We also identified several critical discrepancies between endorsement of similar motivations in the qualitative versus quantitative responses, especially when it came to the idea of sending nudes for fun. Based on these findings, we suggest future researchers consider using more specific, and less stigmatizing language when assessing women's motivations for sending nudes.
•Women endorsed many motives for sending nudes to men—far more than any one qualitative or quantitative approach captured.•The motives, violence perpetration, drug/alcohol use, and proving something were unique to the quantitative responses.•The positive motives, sexual exploration, felt cute, and foreplay were uniquely identified in the qualitative responses.•Endorsement frequency of comparable motivations differed in the qualitative versus quantitative responses.•Some women sent nudes to gain predictability/control, consistent with a nuanced application of objectification theory.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
•Problematic online behaviors (POBs) were examined in an Australian sample.•Problematic online shopping and gambling were the most common POBs.•Younger age predicted all POBs except for problematic ...cybersex and online gambling.•The intensity of ADHD symptoms was a significant predictor of all POBs.•POBs should be preferred over umbrella terms such as problematic Internet use.
This study aimed to ascertain frequency rates and predictors of six problematic online behaviors (POBs) in an Australian sample. Participants (N = 1626) completed instruments measuring problematic online gaming, cyberchondria, problematic cybersex, problematic online shopping, problematic use of social networking sites, problematic online gambling, anxiety, depression and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Each POB was presumed to be present based on the cut-off score on the corresponding instrument and at least one indicator of interference with functioning. Generalized linear model analyses were used to determine socio-demographic and psychopathological predictors of each POB. The most common POB was problematic online shopping (12.2%), followed by problematic online gambling (11.4%), problematic use of social networking sites (6.0%), problematic cybersex (5.3%), problematic online gaming (5.2%) and cyberchondria (4.6%). Age group 27–36 had the highest rates of POBs. The intensity of ADHD symptoms predicted all POBs, whereas younger age predicted all POBs except for problematic cybersex and online gambling. Female gender predicted lower scores on the measures of problematic online gaming and cybersex. These findings have implications for age- and gender-adapted education, prevention and treatment efforts and suggest that specific POBs should be investigated separately instead of lumping them together under the umbrella terms such as “Internet addiction”.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
•Solo and partnered sexual activities might be extrapolated to the virtual arena.•Adolescents consuming pornography vs other forms of cybersex have distinct profiles.•Differences were found on ...psychological and cultural factors.
Research has indicated several differences between those who solely engaged in online pornography use and those who mainly engaged in partnered sexual activities. We examined whether the distinction between solo and partnered sexual activities might be extrapolated to the virtual arena, while studying the psychological differences between adolescents who engaged in each activity. Israeli adolescents (N = 2112; 788 boys and 1,324 girls), age 14–18 (M = 16.52, SD = 1.63), participated in an online study. Each participant completed a randomly ordered battery of self-report questionnaires on frequency of pornography use, sexually related online activities, personality traits, narcissism, emotion regulation strategies, social intimacy and socio-demographic factors. Adolescents who consumed pornography (i.e., solo online activity) are mostly boys, introvert, neurotic, less agreeable, and with less conscientious judgement. In addition, they are more overt narcissist, use more suppression and less reappraisal to regulate emotions, and are low on social intimacy. Adolescents who engaged in online partnered sexual activities are mostly girls, extrovert, open to experience, neurotic, less agreeable, and with less conscientious judgement. In addition, they are more narcissist and high on social intimacy. We discuss the distinctiveness of the differences and their place in the virtual era.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
The purpose of this study was to compare male and female college students in four countries (Canada, Germany, Sweden, and the U.S.) on their lifetime experiences (prevalence) and frequency of recent ...experiences with six types of online sexual activities (OSA): sexual information, sexual entertainment, sexual contacts, sexual minority communities, sexual products, and sex work. Participants (
N
= 2690;
M
age, 24.65 years; 53.4 % women, 46.6 % men) were recruited from a university in each of the countries to complete an online survey that included background and demographic questions, and questions about OSA. Most participants reported experience with accessing sexual information (89.8 %) and sexual entertainment (76.5 %) online. Almost half (48.5 %) reported browsing for sexual products, and a substantial minority reported having engaged in cybersex (30.8 %). Very few participants (1.1 %) paid for online sexual services or received payment (0.5 %). In general, participants showed relatively infrequent experience with all types of OSA within the last 3 months. Men showed both higher prevalence and frequency of use of sexually stimulating material online than did women. However, this gender gap was smaller than in previous studies. Country and gender by country effects were (with one exception) either very small or non-existent, suggesting that, overall, students in the four countries were similar in their OSA experiences. Results are discussed in light of an emerging global net generation and globalized sexual culture.
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