Specific Forms of Passionate Attachment Differentially Mediate Relationships Between Pornography Use and Sexual Compulsivity in Young Adult Men

Abstract The current study examined potential roles for two types of “passionate attachment” in mediating the relationship between pornography use and sexual compulsivity. Harmonious passion (HP) occurs when a person’s sexual behavior is congruent with personal life, while obsessive passion (OP) occurs when an “uncontrollable urge” to engage in sexual activity creates conflict and interferes with functioning. We recruited 265 university men to complete questionnaires assessing demographics, pornography use characteristics, passionate attachment for pornography, and sexual compulsivity. Relationships between study variables were examined using structural path modeling analysis. HP ratings were found to significantly, though partially, mediate the relationship between ratings of weekly pornography use and sexual compulsivity. OP ratings were found to mediate fully the relationship between weekly pornography use and sexual compulsivity ratings. When a fully specified 2-mediator model was estimated, only OP remained a significant predictor of sexual compulsivity. The relationship between weekly pornography use and sexual compulsivity was fully explained by OP ratings, while HP was not found to contribute to sexual compulsivity scores, above and beyond the effect of OP. The findings that OP, but not HP, links pornography use and sexual compulsivity suggests that obsessive forms of passionate attachment may represent a target for treatment.