Two studies tested the hypothesis that exposure to pornography among romantically committed individuals would increase the likelihood of intimate extradyadic behavior and that this effect would be mediated by heightened perceptions of romantic alternatives. Study 1 (n = 74) found that participants primed with sexually explicit material reported having higher quality romantic alternatives. Study 2 (n = 291) showed that initial pornography consumption predicted intimate extradyadic behavior 12 weeks later even after controlling for initial extradyadic behavior, sociosexuality, relationship length, baseline relationship satisfaction, social desirability, and participant gender and race. The relationship between pornography and intimate extradyadic behavior was mediated by perceptions of the quality of romantic alternatives. These results suggest that sexually explicit material can provoke intimate extradyadic behavior via its effect on perceptions of alternative partners.
AllenM.D’AlessioD.Emmers-SommerT. M. (1999). Reactions of criminal sexual offenders to pornography: A meta-analytic summary. In RoloffM. (Ed.), Communication Yearbook (Vol. 22, pp. 139–170). Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.
2.
CarrollJ. S.Padilla-WalkerL. M.NelsonL. J.OlsonC. D.BarryC. M.MadsenS. D. (2008). Generation XXX: Pornography acceptance and use among emerging adults. Journal of Adolescent Research, 23, 6–30.
3.
DrigotasS. M.SafstromC. A.GentiliaT. (1999). An investment model prediction of dating infidelity. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77, 509–524.
4.
Emmers-SommerT. M.WarberK.HalfordJ. (2010). Reasons for (non)engagement in infidelity. Marriage and Family Review, 46, 420–444.
5.
FrankR. H. (1988). Passions within reason: The strategic role of the emotions. New York, NY: Norton.
6.
FunkJ. L.RoggeR. D. (2007). Testing the ruler with item response theory: Increasing precision of measurement for relationship satisfaction with the couples’ satisfaction index. Journal of Family Psychology, 21, 572–583.
7.
GonzagaG. C.HaseltonM. G.SmurdaJ.DaviesM. S.PooreJ. C. (2008). Love, desire, and the suppression of thoughts of romantic alternatives. Evolution and Human Behavior, 29, 119–126.
JohnsonD. J.RusbultC. E. (1989). Resisting temptation: Devaluation of alternative partners as a means of maintaining commitment in close relationships. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57, 967–980.
10.
KenrickD. T.NeubergS. L.ZierkK. L.KronesJ. M. (1994). Evolution and social cognition: Contrast effects as a function of sex, dominance, and physical attractiveness. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 20, 210–217.
11.
LambertN. M.DeWallC. N.BushmanB. J.StillmanT. F.FinchamF. D.PondR. S. (2012). Lashing out in lust: Effect of pornography on nonsexual, physical aggression against intimate partners. Manuscript submitted for publication.
12.
MalamuthN. M.AddisonT.KossM. (2000). Pornography and sexual aggression: Are there reliable effects and can we understand them?Annual Review of Sex Research, 11, 26–91.
13.
ManerJ. K.GailliotM. T.MillerS. L. (2009). The implicit cognition of relationship maintenance: Inattention to attractive alternatives. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 45, 174–179.
14.
ManerJ. K.GailliotM. T.RoubyD. A.MillerS. L. (2007). Can’t take my eyes off you: Attentional adhesion to mates and rivals. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 93, 389–401.
15.
ManerJ. K.RoubyD. A.GonzagaG. C. (2008). Automatic inattention to attractive alternatives: The evolved psychology of relationship maintenance. Evolution and Human Behavior, 29, 343–349.
16.
MillerR. S. (1997). Inattentive and contented: Relationship commitment and attention to alternatives. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 73, 758−766.
17.
MillerS. L.ManerJ. K. (2010). Evolution and relationship maintenance: Fertility cues lead committed men to devalue relationship alternatives. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 46, 1081–1084.
18.
PeterJ.ValkenburgP. (2008). Adolescents’ exposure to sexually explicit internet material, sexual uncertainty, and attitudes toward uncommitted sexual exploration: Is there a link?Communication Research, 35, 579–601.
19.
PreacherK. J.HayesA. F. (2004). SPSS and SAS procedures for estimating indirect effects in simple mediation models. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers, 36, 717–731.
20.
RusbultC. E. (1980). Commitment and satisfaction in romantic associations: A test of the investment model. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 16, 172–186.
21.
RusbultC. E.MartzJ. M.AgnewC. R. (1998). The investment model scale: Measuring commitment level, satisfaction level, quality of alternatives, and investment size. Personal Relationships, 5, 357–391.
22.
SchneiderJ. P. (2000). Effects of cybersex addiction on the family: Results of a survey. Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity, 7, 31–58.
23.
SimpsonJ. A.GangestadS. W. (1991). Individual differences in sociosexuality: Evidence for convergent and discriminant validity. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 60, 870–883.
24.
StackS.WassermanI.KernR. (2004). Adult social bonds and use of internet pornography. Social Science Quarterly, 85, 75–88.
25.
SteinD. J.BlackD. W.ShapiraN. A.SpitzerR. L. (2001). Hypersexual disorder and preoccupation with internet pornography. American Journal of Psychiatry, 158, 1590–1594.
26.
StrahanR.GerbasiK. C. (1972). Short, homogeneous versions of the Marlowe-Crowne social desirability scale. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 28, 191–193.
27.
TreasJ.GiesenD. (2000). Sexual infidelity among married and cohabitating Americans. Journal of Marriage and Family, 62, 48–60.
28.
VegaV.MalamuthN. M. (2007). Predicting sexual aggression: The role of pornography in the context of general and specific risk factors. Aggressive Behavior, 33, 104–117.
