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Abstract
<p class="first" id="d18338874e67">Internet pornography use (IPU) remains a controversial
topic within sexual behavior
research fields. Whereas some people report feeling dysregulated in their use of pornography,
mental health and medical communities are divided as to whether IPU can be addictive.
The present review sought to examine this issue more closely, with a focus on how
variables other than pornography use, such as moral disapproval and moral incongruence
(i.e., feeling as if one's behaviors and one's values about those behaviors are misaligned),
might specifically contribute to self-perceived problems around pornography use. Through
an examination of recent literature, the present work reviews evidence that moral
incongruence about IPU is a common phenomenon and that it is associated with outcomes
relevant to current debates about pornography addiction. Specifically, moral incongruence
regarding IPU appears to be associated with greater distress about IPU, greater psychological
distress in general, greater reports of problems related to IPU, and greater reports
of perceived addiction to IPU. The implications of this body of evidence for both
clinical and research communities are discussed, and future directions for research
are considered.
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