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What’s the Harm?

William M. StruthersAssociate Professor of Psychology Wheaton CollegeWheaton, IL (USA)23/5/2012

+Overview

Review of Research on Adolescent Pornography Use

Review of Relevant Neurobiological Issues

Considerations for Policy Making

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The Impact of Internet Pornography on AdolescentsOwens, Behun, Manning and Reid, (April, 2012) Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity, 19:99-122.

+Attitudes and Beliefs

Unrealistic attitudes abut sex and sexual relationships

As exposure to SEM increases: increased belief that porn = real life increased belief that porn is applicable in real life increased instrumental view of sex (physical, mechanical rather t

han emotional, relational) increased sexual preoccupation increased acceptance of casual, extramarital sexIncresed sexual

distractedness Increased sexual permissiveness Recreational view

+Attitudes and Beliefs

Mainstream and culturally acceptable (67% males, 49% females see porn as an acceptable outlet for sexuality)

Porn has become the normative experience

+Behaviors

Broad agreement that SEM influences learning 'Mirror Neurons' Expectations and Demands Frequent SEM exposre

'Risky' sexual behaviors and drug use during sex Decreased age of first intercourse (‘acclerant ’, Kraus

and Russell, 2008) Counteracted by education of negative consequences Inconsistent findings with respect to number of partner

s and agression/sexual aggression

+Self Concept

Pornographic ScriptFemales - body image insecurityMales - performance anxietyFrequency of SEM

Negatively correlated with self confidence Positively associated with social isolation and maladju

stment (Mesch, 2009; Tsitsika et al, 2009) Increased depression (Ybarra and Mitchell, 2005) Decreased bonding with caregivers (Ybarra and Mitch

ell, 2005)

+Clinical Issues

Retrospective study of a clinical population shows that first exposure to SEM near puberty is associated with (in preparation, Struthers): emotionally detached attachment style increased compulsivity/impusivity poor self concept first exposure memories are vivid and typically hav

e negative emotional valence over 80% is unintentional over 80% of first exposures are not discussed with

parents/caregivers

+Brain Science

Research Context Brain Imaging (fMRI, PET, EEG) Experimental Design Sexual Stimuli

Nudity/Naked Body Erotic – designed to stimulate sexual arousal or depictions

of explicit sexual interactions Static vs. Dynamic Unimodal vs. Multimodal Processing

Visual images/clips, audio clips, read stories (visual and linguistic), infidelity (linguistic and contextual)

+Neurobiological Development

Depper regions develop first, higher regions last Limbic areas (arousal and reward) preceeds corti

cal development SEM activates limbic regions which can lead to di

sproportionately strengthened associations without sufficient cortical regulation

SEM exploits this developmentally compromised adolescent brain

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+Neurobiology of Adolescence and Exposure to SEM

Sexual developmentHypothalamus

Reward system developmentStriatum and amygdala

Cortical developmentFrontal cortex (Executive Function and

Emotional Regulation)Mirror Neurons

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• SEM has a unique effect – ‘Mirrored’• SEM has valence (felt emotional state)• SEM induces elevates arousal • SEM is affected by context– Model pose/imputed action– Predisposition of the viewer– Pre- and Post-processing of context

Considerations

+Final Comments