Exploring Pornography Addiction Risk Among Adolescents: Proposal

This research proposal explores the potential differences in the risk of pornography addiction between female and male adolescents. It builds upon existing literature that highlights the increasing prevalence of online pornography use and its potential to develop into problematic behaviors. The proposal aims to investigate whether variations in reasons for pornography consumption, such as arousal versus curiosity, contribute to differing addiction risks between genders. The study employs an ex post facto design, utilizing the Short Internet Addiction Test adapted for Online Sexual Activities to measure the dependent variable (risk of porn addiction). The theoretical framework suggests that males may have a higher risk due to the use of pornography for arousal, leading to supernormal stimulus and increased seeking behavior, while curiosity-driven consumption in females may be less addictive. The research intends to provide insights into adolescent behavior towards pornography and inform potential therapy programs tailored to address addiction based on gender-specific risks. Desklib provides access to similar solved assignments and study tools for students.

Running Head: Research Proposal
PSY105
Introduction to Quantitative Methods I
Semester 2
Mr. TamilSelvan Ramis
Research Proposal
Teoh Kwan Kei
B2000663

Running Head: Research Proposal
Literature Review and Research Gap
Online pornography use has become one of the popular internet usages by people
today in this modern days, as it may develop an individual addictive behavior in porn. A
person who had high consumption in online pornography has a potential to develop
Problematic Online Pornography Use (POPU), a subtype of hypersexual disorder that
develop among individuals who had high consumption in pornography according to (de
Alarcón et al., 2019).
As the pornography content is getting widespread on internet, every individual who
has accessibility to internet is having high risk to exposure in pornography including youth
who is underage and restricted to view pornography content (Wallmyr & Welin, 2006). The
past study also indicates that Female and male have different reason on consumption in
pornography as male view pornography for fulfil their arousal and to masturbate on it
however female view pornography for their curiosity on pornography (Wallmyr & Welin,
2006).
Beside their reason in consuming porn, past study also indicates that female
adolescents’ lifestyle and sexual health can be influenced by their porn consumption which
they have poorer lifestyle and sexual health compare to non-consumer (Mattebo et al., 2016).
The male adolescent might be slightly different to female as almost as frequent users suffer
unhealthy lifestyle the non-frequent user (Mattebo et al., 2016). These studies indicate that
the consumption of pornography for male and female adolescents are different between these
two genders.
From the Literature review, new study can be conduct by using the combination of
reasons, frequency, effects to compare youths or adolescents according to their gender to test

Running Head: Research Proposal
whether there is different in porn consumption between both genders and which gender have
higher risk in having porn addiction.
Research Question
Is there a difference in risk of pornography addiction between female adolesecents and male
adolescents?
Theoretical and Practical Implications
Theoretical Implication
As the study provide there is a difference in pornography between male adolescents
and female adolescents, Furthermore, study can provide a clear insight about adolescent’s
thought and behaviour towards pornography content.
Pratical Implication
If it has found male adolescents have higher porn addiction than female adolescents,
then all we can do is provide therapy programme for the adolescents to treat their addiction
such as Group therapy (Orzack et al., 2006), Individual session of Acceptance and
Commitment Therapy (ACT) (Twohig & Crosby, 2010) or Online recovery program (based
on a cognitive behavioral therapy approach) (Hardy et al., 2010).
Theoretical Framework
As Internet has become a common technology that use by humans, pornography can
be widespread by the internet as the accessibility is getting easier which online pornography
can be viewed anytime and anywhere (Wood, 2011). Adolescents will be interest in these
contents and will become excessive and addictive in pornography (Tsitsika et al., 2009;
Ybarra & Mitchell, 2005).

Running Head: Research Proposal
As high consumption of pornography may lead to higher risk of pornography
addiction (de Alarcón et al., 2019). These may be cause by their reason in porn consumption
where mostly male consume for arousal and masturbate and mostly women consume it due to
curiosity (Wallmyr & Welin, 2006). Due to their different reason in porn consumption
between these two genders, it can believe that their reason might lead to different risk of porn
addiction between both genders. Past study indicates that individuals who use pornography
content for arousal tend to produce supernormal stimulus towards pornography contents
which makes pursue or seek for more pornography to trigger their arousal and masturbating
for faster orgasm (Hilton, 2013). Individuals who use pornography due to their curiosity due
to their age in development such as adolescents in middle age are more interested in sexual
relationship (Waterman & Allen, 2019). Curiosity in pornography found to be less effective
than individuals who use porn for arousal due to some individuals might out of curiosity after
several times of consumption (Attwood et al., 2018).
Base on the theoretical framework above, it can hypothesize that male adolescents
have high risk of pornography addiction than female adolescents.
Hypothesis
Male adolescents have higher risk of pornography addiction than female adolescents.
Design
Ex Post Facto Design. The subject variable is gender of the adolescents. The level of subject
variables is female adolescents and male adolescents. The dependent variable will be risk of
porn addiction.
Variables
Conceptual Definition

Running Head: Research Proposal
Risk in pornography addiction is the possibility of an individual exposes into pornography
addiction due to several factors (Young, 2008).
Adolescents are individuals at the age of 10-19 years old where they started to interest in
romantic and sexual activity especially between 14 years old to 17 years old (Waterman &
Allen, 2019).
Operational Definition:
For subject variable, participants’ gender was identified through demographics form.
For dependent variables, the total score of Short Internet Addiction Test adapted to Online
Sexual Activities (Pawlikowski et al., 2013), with a higher score indicating higher risk of
porn addiction.
Participants
Sampling size - G*Power calculation with a conventional small effect size of 0.20, alpha
level of .05 and power of .80 suggested a sample size of 788.
Sampling method – This is study is using non probability sampling techniques, purposive
sampling. Selected participants also playing in a role of helping to recruit potential
participants who fulfil the criteria of this research. The survey will be conducted on
adolescent from 11 years old to 19 years old throught online. By the help of participants, they
are able to find other participants which is same group of age with them to participate this
survey.
Demographics
Inclusion criteria – Participants will be ask about their age and gender which is the subject
variables to study, they also will be asked about their race, religion, their reason and
frequency of pornography consumption for extra information on participants background.

Running Head: Research Proposal
Materials
Short Internet Addiction Test adapted to Online Sexual Activities (Pawlikowski et al.,
2013) (Appendix 1) was develop with 12 item scales side that question the participants about
their everyday that influenced by Online Sex Addicts and potential symptoms of pornography
addiction or Problematic Online Pornography Use. 5-point Likert scale (1=Never, 2 = Rarely,
3 = Occasionally, 4 = Often, 5= Always) were the score of all items. This test is used to
measure the dependent variables of this study
Demographic Form (Appendix 2) is developed to ask about participants personal
information to identify subjective variables. Thus, the form also includes inclusive criteria
that ask about religion, ages, reason and frequency of pornography consumption by
participants. The reason of pornography will be given 7 choices (Wallmyr & Welin, 2006).
Procedure
To secure accessibility and anonymity, the study is conducted online and instruction
was provided for the participants for better accessibility. For anonymity, participants were
guaranteed as no personal data and IP address will be collected from the online survey.
First, participants will be asked to answer the demographics form to identify their
identity whether it is applicable to attend this research topics. Second, participants were asked
to answer Short Internet Addiction Test adapted to Online Sexual Activities Questionnaire.
After the test, participants will allowed to withdraw from the test.

Running Head: Research Proposal
References
Attwood, F., Smith, C., & Barker, M. (2018). ‘I’m just curious and still exploring myself’:
Young people and pornography. New Media & Society, 20(10), 3738-3759. doi:
10.1177/1461444818759271
de Alarcón, R., de la Iglesia, J., Casado, N., & Montejo, A. (2019). Online Porn Addiction:
What We Know and What We Don’t—A Systematic Review. Journal Of Clinical
Medicine, 8(1), 91. doi: 10.3390/jcm8010091
Hardy, S., Ruchty, J., Hull, T., & Hyde, R. (2010). A Preliminary Study of an Online
Psychoeducational Program for Hypersexuality. Sexual Addiction &
Compulsivity, 17(4), 247-269. doi: 10.1080/10720162.2010.533999
Hilton, D. (2013). Pornography addiction – a supranormal stimulus considered in the context
of neuroplasticity. Socioaffective Neuroscience & Psychology, 3(1), 20767. doi:
10.3402/snp.v3i0.20767
Mattebo, M., Tydén, T., Häggström-Nordin, E., Nilsson, K., & Larsson, M. (2016).
Pornography consumption among adolescent girls in Sweden. The European Journal
Of Contraception & Reproductive Health Care, 21(4), 295-302. doi:
10.1080/13625187.2016.1186268
Orzack, M., Voluse, A., Wolf, D., & Hennen, J. (2006). An Ongoing Study of Group
Treatment for Men Involved in Problematic Internet-Enabled Sexual
Behavior. Cyberpsychology & Behavior, 9(3), 348-360. doi: 10.1089/cpb.2006.9.348
Pawlikowski, M., Altstötter-Gleich, C., & Brand, M. (2013). Validation and psychometric
properties of a short version of Young’s Internet Addiction Test. Computers In
Human Behavior, 29(3), 1212-1223. doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2012.10.014

Running Head: Research Proposal
Tsitsika, A., Critselis, E., Kormas, G., Konstantoulaki, E., Constantopoulos, A., & Kafetzis,
D. (2009). Adolescent Pornographic Internet Site Use: A Multivariate Regression
Analysis of the Predictive Factors of Use and Psychosocial
Implications. Cyberpsychology & Behavior, 12(5), 545-550. doi:
10.1089/cpb.2008.0346
Twohig, M., & Crosby, J. (2010). Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as a Treatment for
Problematic Internet Pornography Viewing. Behavior Therapy, 41(3), 285-295. doi:
10.1016/j.beth.2009.06.002
Wallmyr, G., & Welin, C. (2006). Young People, Pornography, And Sexuality: Sources And
Attitudes. The Journal Of School Nursing, 22(5), 290-295. doi:
10.1177/10598405060220050801
Waterman, H., & Allen, B. (2019). Stages of Adolescence. Retrieved 4 February 2021, from
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/teen/Pages/Stages-of-
Adolescence.aspx
Wood, H. (2011). The internet and its role in the escalation of sexually compulsive
behaviour. Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, 25(2), 127-142. doi:
10.1080/02668734.2011.576492
Ybarra, M., & Mitchell, K. (2005). Exposure to Internet Pornography among Children and
Adolescents: A National Survey. Cyberpsychology & Behavior, 8(5), 473-486. doi:
10.1089/cpb.2005.8.473
Young, K. S. (2008). Internet Sex Addiction: Risk Factors, Stages of Development, and
Treatment. American Behavioral Scientist, 52(1), 21–
37. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764208321339

Running Head: Research Proposal
Appendix 1
Appendix 2
Demographic Form
Characteristic Answer
Gender 1. Male
2. Female
Religion 1. Islam
2. Buddhist
3. Hinduism
4. Christian
5. Other :______________
Ages 1. 11-13 years old
2. 14-16 years old
3. 17-19 years old
Reason of pornography consumption 1. “Everyone Does It”
2. Curiosity
3. “It’s cool”
4. To get Arouse and Masturbate
5. To get sexually excited before sexual
activities.
6. Learn more about sexuality
7. To vary sex life.
Frequency of weekly pornography
consumption use
1. 1-2 hours
2. 3-4 hours
3. 5-6 hours
4. 7 hours and above

Running Head: Research Proposal
Appendix 3
G*Power Calculation.

Running Head: Research Proposal