Correlates and Cognitive Mechanisms Associated with Internet Pornography Use

Abstract

Since the advent of the Internet, pornography use has proliferated, covarying with increasing rates of Internet pornography (IP) addiction. However, IP addiction is a contentious concept because there are no definitive criteria for it and because it falls under the relatively unexplored category of behavioural additions. In this article, we review various domains of the related literature, such as estimated rates of IP use and problematic use, and evidence that IP use can become addictive including a neuroscientific perspective. We then consider the cognitive mechanisms that may be involved in IP addiction, before offering some directions for future research.