Background: While preliminary research suggests non-heterosexual men and women view more pornography than their heterosexual counterparts, few studies have examined how problematic use differs across sexual and gender identity groups. Aim: We sought to test measurement invariance across popular measures of problematic pornography use (PPU) and examine mean PPU differences across heterosexual men, non-heterosexual men, heterosexual women, and non-heterosexual women. Methods: We used 3 large archival datasets to examine psychometrics/group differences on the Brief Pornography Screen (BPS; N = 1,439), Problematic Pornography Use Scale (PPUS; N = 5,859), and Cyber Pornography Use Inventory-4 (CPUI-4; N = 893). Outcomes: Most PPU scales/subscales demonstrated acceptable fit, and non-heterosexual men and women tended to report more PPU than heterosexual men and women (though exceptions were evident). Results: Confirmatory factor analyses revealed good fit across each group and instrument, with exception to sexual minority women on the CPUI-4. Each instrument demonstrated at least metric invariance between groups, with exception to one item between heterosexual and sexual minority men on the CPUI-4. Mean differences suggested that sexual minority men and women tend to report more PPU than heterosexual men and women, though several exceptions were evident depending on the PPU dimension. Men tended to report more PPU than women, though exceptions were also evident. Effect sizes ranged from large-to-non-significant depending on PPU dimension. Clinical Implications: Researchers and clinicians should consider sexual orientation, gender, and PPU dimension when addressing PPU concerns. Strengths & Limitations: A primary strength of this study is the use of multiple large samples, meaning our results are likely highly generalizable. However, this study is limited in that it only examined sexual orientation groups broadly and did not account for non-cisgender identities. Conclusions: The BPS, PPUS, and CPUI-4 are all appropriate tools to measure PPU depending on researcher and clinician needs.

This study examined how scrupulosity, depression, anxiety, stress, and neuroticism may statistically predict problematic pornography viewing dimensions. Participants (n = 507 women and n = 250 men) responded to an online survey. Structural equation modeling indicated scrupulosity as a significant positive predictor across all problematic pornography viewing dimensions across genders. Depression was also a significant positive predictor, but only for those who use pornography to escape negative emotions, and for women with functional problems related to pornography use. The relationship between scrupulosity and functional pornography problems was significantly stronger for men. Interaction analyses suggested that low scrupulosity may buffer the relationship between mental health concerns and problematic pornography viewing in men, while high scrupulosity may exacerbate the relationship between anxiety and excessive pornography use in women. The full model accounted for 14 – 34% of the variance of various dimensions of problematic pornography viewing. Clinical implications and areas of further research are discussed.

Prior studies on problematic pornography viewing (PPV) have identified religiosity and experiential avoidance as correlates. Scrupulosity has been theorized as a factor within religiosity that may be associated with PPV. The present study tested a moderated-mediation model using structural equation modeling in a sample (n = 727) of pornography viewers. Experiential avoidance and scrupulosity were found to be positive correlates of PPV. Indirect effects suggested experiential avoidance was a positive mediator between scrupulosity and PPV. Moderation analyses indicated these relationships only held for men. The present findings support the use of acceptance-based interventions for individuals struggling with PPV.