Mental Health
Pornography consumption as existential escape from boredom.
Open Access: No.
Abstract
We tested if boredom is associated with pornography use and what role low perceived meaning in life plays in their association. Following work on the existential escape hypothesis, we hypothesised that pornography consumption may be used to escape from the perceived meaninglessness that boredom signals. We tested whether perceived meaninglessness predicted increased pornography use via boredom and using pornography for emotional avoidance. Subsequently, we tested this indirect serial relationship using scales that measured pornography use for excitement seeking and sexual pleasure. We found significant indirect relationships in each case. Our research contributes to understanding the role of boredom in promoting pornography consumption and how it may function as an escape from perceived meaninglessness in life.
Relevance
“We found a significant indirect serial relationship of perceived meaninglessness on more frequent pornography use via increased boredom proneness and emotional avoidance.” The study highlighted “how boredom and perceptions of meaninglessness associated with it may promote the consumption of pornography as a means of escape (i.e., emotional avoidance).”
Citation
Moynihan, A. B., Igou, E. R., & van Tilburg, W. A. P. (2022). Pornography consumption as existential escape from boredom. Personality and Individual Differences, 198, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2022.111802
