Affect Regulation Through Pornography Consumption: An Experimental Investigation of the Efficacy of Different Pornographic Stimuli in Relation to Problematic Pornography Use

The use of Internet pornography (IP) remains non-problematic for most individuals, yet a subset develops problematic pornography use (PPU), which has been linked to impaired affect regulation. IP is often used to reduce negative affect, yet its short-term effectiveness and the role of PPU severity remain unclear. Feminist pornography, emphasising consent and equality, may differ in its impact on affect regulation from mainstream pornography. This study examines whether pornographic stimuli reduce experimentally induced negative affect more effectively than neutral stimuli, whether PPU moderates this effect, and whether affect regulation differs between mainstream and feminist pornography. Adult heterosexual male participants (≥ 18 years) with sufficient German language proficiency are recruited on- and offline. In a randomised controlled online experiment, negative affect is induced using a digital stress task. Participants are then exposed to mainstream pornography, feminist pornography, or neutral videos. Negative affect is assessed before and after stimulus presentation using validated self-report measures.