Background and aims. Compulsive sexual behavior disorder (CSBD) has been a long debated issue. While formerly the discussion was about whether to regard CSBD as a distinctive disorder, the current ...debate is dealing with the classification of this phenomenon. One of the prominent voices in this field considers CSBD as a behavioral addiction and proposes CSBD to be called and diagnosed as sexual addiction (SA). This present debate paper will review the existing evidence supporting this view and it will argue against it. Results. We have found that a great deal of the current literature is anecdotal while empirical evidence is insufficient. First, the reports about the prevalence of CSBD are contradictory. Additionally, the field mainly suffers from inconsistent defining criteria of CSBD and a consensus which symptoms should be included. As a result, the empirical evidence that does exist is mostly about some symptoms individually and not on the disorder as a whole construct. Conclusions. We conclude that currently, there is not enough data supporting CSBD as a behavioral addiction. Further research has to be done, examining CSBD phenomenology as a whole construct and based on a homogeneous criterion.
Purpose of Review
Information on potential risk factors and clinical correlates of compulsive sexual behavior (CSB) may help inform more effective prevention and treatment measures. Sexual ...victimization, specifically, child sexual abuse (CSA), has been associated with CSB.
Recent Findings
This systematic review describes 21 studies on the relationship between CSA and CSB. Most studies identified a significant association between CSA and CSB. However, variability in measurements, potential differences in links among community versus clinical samples, relevance of research among college samples, lack of support for gender-related differences, and the need for more longitudinal designs were identified.
Summary
Research would benefit from more formalized assessments of CSB across different populations. Prevention efforts should be aimed toward individuals who experienced CSA and/or other abuse, particularly if they report engaging in risky sexual behavior. Individuals with CSB who have experienced sexual abuse may benefit from trauma-focused treatment.
Background and aimsPrevious research investigated the prevalence and risk factors of problematic sexual behaviour (PSB) using the Bergen–Yale Sex Addiction Scale (BYSAS), among other instruments. ...However, a dearth of literature employed item response theory (IRT) to assess the BYSAS psychometric properties. The present study adopts an IRT framework to comprehensively examine the measurement aspects (including discrimination and severity) and the prevalence of PSB among a relatively large adult sample.MethodsParticipants (N = 968, 64.3% men, Mage = 29.5 years, age range = 18–64 years) completed the BYSAS.ResultsCFA determined that the BYSAS is a unidimensional construct. Additionally, IRT analysis showed variability in discrimination, severity, and reliability across BYSAS items, with a raw score exceeding 20, indicating a high risk of PSB. Accordingly, using this raw score 1.8% of the participants were at-risk of PSB.ConclusionsFindings supported the differential use of BYSAS criteria for assessment purposes, while only a minority of participants presented to be at risk of problematic sexual behaviour difficulties.
Excessive problematic sexual behavior in the form of compulsive sexual behavior disorder (CSBD), hypersexuality (HS), and sex addiction has gained increasing credibility in recent years and has led ...to the development of various psychometric instruments to assess such behavior. However, there is still considerable controversy over the operational definition of such concepts and whether they can be used interchangeably to describe the behavior. One recently developed tool is the Bergen–Yale Sex Addiction Scale (BYSAS) based on the “components model of addiction.” The present study validated the Italian version of the BYSAS. The BYSAS was administered to a large Italian-speaking sample of Italian adults
N
= 1230, aged 18 to 67 years along with psychometric instruments assessing the “Big Five” personality traits, self-esteem, depression, and two other measures of addictive sexual behavior (i.e., PATHOS and Shorter PROMIS Questionnaire–Sex Subscale). Confirmatory factorial analysis supported a one-factor solution. Furthermore, the scale had good internal consistency (Cronbach’s
α
= 0.787). The BYSAS was positively associated with extroversion, openness to experience, depression, and problematic sexual behavior, and negatively associated with self-esteem, conscientiousness, emotional stability, agreeableness, and age. Based on the findings, the BYSAS is a brief, psychometrically reliable and valid measure for assessing sex addiction among Italian adults.
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.
An empirical review of hypersexuality is timely as “compulsive sexual behavior” is being considered as an impulse control disorder for inclusion in the forthcoming
International Classification of ...Diseases, 11th ed
. Specifically, hypersexuality has been conceptualized in the literature as the inability to regulate one’s sexual behavior that is a source of significant personal distress. Various theoretical models have been posited in an attempt to understand the occurrence of hypersexuality, although disagreement about these divergent conceptualizations of the condition has made assessment and treatment of hypersexual clients more challenging. Theories of sexual compulsivity, sexual impulsivity, dual control (sexual inhibition/excitation), and sex addiction are critically examined, as are the diagnostic criteria for clinically assessing hypersexuality as a sexual disorder. Our discussion of hypersexuality covers a diversity of research and clinical perspectives. We also address various challenges associated with reliably defining, psychometrically measuring, and diagnosing hypersexuality. Furthermore, literature is reviewed that expresses concerns regarding whether hypersexuality (conceptualized as a disorder) exists, whether it is simply normophilic behavior at the extreme end of sexual functioning, or alternatively is a presenting problem that requires treatment rather than a clinical diagnosis. Following our literature review, we developed the “sexhavior cycle of hypersexuality” to potentially explain the neuropsychology and maintenance cycle of hypersexuality. The sexhavior cycle suggests that, for some hypersexual persons, high sexual arousal may temporarily and adversely impact cognitive processing (cognitive abeyance) and explain a repeated pattern of psychological distress when interpreting one’s sexual behavior (sexual incongruence). We also suggest that further research is required to validate whether hypersexuality is a behavioral disorder (such as gambling), although some presentations of the condition appear to be symptomatic of a heterogeneous psychological problem that requires treatment.
Purpose of Review
Pornography use is highly prevalent among adolescents, yet lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) adolescents remain an understudied population and knowledge about ...their pornography use is limited. Therefore, we aimed to provide an overview of LGBTQ adolescents’ pornography use patterns and compare them with those of heterosexual adolescents.
Recent Findings
Despite the fact that there is limited data to draw conclusions, pornography may be viewed at a younger age for LGBTQ girls, be more prevalent, and be more frequent among LGBTQ adolescents than among their heterosexual counterparts. Despite this higher use pattern, LGBTQ adolescents may not be more prone to developing problematic pornography use based on their reported primary motivations for use. LGBTQ adolescents may not only use pornography to experience sexual pleasure, but they can also use it to learn about sexuality and develop their sexual identity. However, LGBTQ adolescents’ pornography use does not appear to be related to more negative outcomes compared with heterosexual adolescents; thus, LGBTQ adolescents do not seem more vulnerable to pornographic materials than heterosexual adolescents.
Summary
Although problematic or compulsive pornography use may seem an obvious explanation, LGBTQ adolescents’ more frequent pornography use may derive from their unmet needs regarding information on LGBTQ sexual activities and may be considered a part of their sexual identity development process.
Despite a lack of consensus in the field about how best to conceptualize problematic pornography use, psychometric instruments have nonetheless been developed to assess the construct. The present ...systematic review aimed to (i) identify psychometric tools that have been developed to assess problematic pornography use; (ii) summarize key characteristics, psychometric properties, and strengths and limitations of instruments for problematic pornography use; (iii) compare the instruments’ theoretical conceptualizations of problematic pornography use; and (iv) evaluate each instrument on their ability to assess various core components of addiction. In this article, 22 instruments assessing problematic pornography use were reviewed. Results indicated that while the instruments had different conceptualizations of problematic pornography use, addiction still emerged as the most common theoretical framework used by the instruments. Five of the most commonly assessed addiction components across the different instruments were (1) impaired control, (2) salience, (3) mood modification, (4) interpersonal conflict, and (5) general life conflict. Contextual factors that may potentially affect the assessment of problematic pornography use and recommendations for researchers and clinicians are discussed.
The psychological impact of pornography consumption remains a contentious issue, with perspectives ranging from seeing it as a healthy expression of sexuality to a potentially dangerous addiction. ...Understanding how novel technologies can change how pornography is experienced is crucial for grappling with the effects of pornography. With the advent of consumer virtual reality (VR) technology in recent years, VR pornography has become increasingly popular. To date, we are not aware of any research that has compared people's responses to VR versus typical pornography. In our study, 95 heterosexual participants (47 females) viewed either VR or 2D pornography (between subjects), from both voyeuristic and first person perspectives (within subjects), and rated their subjective arousal and presence. Consistent with excitement about VR, men found VR pornography more arousing than 2D scenes, but this was not the case for women. Rather than VR being generally experienced as more arousing, we found that a first person or ‘participant’ perspective consistently induced greater arousal relative to a voyeuristic view, regardless of presentation medium in both genders. However, VR did consistently elicit a greater sense of presence than typical pornography, and presence was positively correlated with sexual arousal. Our findings indicate that under certain conditions, VR can enhance the experience of arousal and pleasure in response to pornography, and generally facilitates presence. Clearly, however, the immersive capabilities of technology are not the only, and likely not the strongest, predictor of sexual arousal, perhaps tempering concerns that VR could greatly exacerbate compulsive pornography consumption.
•This is the first study to directly compare responses to VR vs. typical pornography.•First person scenes were found more arousing than voyeuristic scenes, whether in VR or 2D.•Men, but not women, found VR more arousing than 2D pornography - a gender difference, or lack of female targeted VR?•VR elicited a greater sense of presence than 2D scenes in all conditions, and presence correlated positively with arousal.
The assessment of sex addiction among different populations requires a valid and reliable tool. Since the Bergen-Yale Sex Addiction Scale (BYSAS) was not available in Iran, this study aimed to ...evaluate the validity and reliability of the Persian version of the BYSAS.
After translation/back-translation procedure, a total of 756 Iranian men and women completed the BYSAS. The structural validity of this tool was evaluated by exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. An expert panel review also examined content validity of the items. Psychometric properties of the scale including validity, reliability (internal consistency Cronbach's alpha) and test-retest) and factor structure were assessed.
Content Validity Index (CVI) and Content Validity Ratio (CVR) scores for the BYSAS were 0.75 and 0.62, respectively. In the measure's structural validity, the results of exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis supported the One-factor structure. Data analysis demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha ranging from 0.88 to 0.89).
Study findings suggest that the BYSAS is a valid and reliable instrument for assessing sex addiction among Persian speaking adults. Replication of research findings is needed to expand the BYSAS for clinical and non-clinical Iranian populations.
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