Often couples come to me for help when one, or both, of the partners have looked outside of the relationship for physical or emotional intimacy. Many times, this involves a phone. Discovery of hidden, unwanted activity, by the partner impacts trust in the relationship.
Understanding Pornography Addiction: Insights from Neuropsychology
Pornography addiction has become an increasing concern in recent years, with the widespread availability of online pornographic content. As researchers seek to understand this phenomenon, both clinical and cognitive neuropsychological approaches have provided valuable insights. Clinical neuropsychology examines how pornography addiction manifests as a behavioral disorder, assessing and treating individuals experiencing functional impairments. In contrast, cognitive neuropsychology investigates the underlying cognitive processes and brain mechanisms involved in pornography addiction.
Neuropsychological Perspectives on Pornography Addiction: Effects on Intimacy in Marriage
This literature review aims to synthesize findings from both clinical and cognitive neuropsychological research on pornography addiction, with a particular focus on how it impacts intimate partner relationships in marriage. Clinical studies have documented the behavioral patterns, diagnostic criteria, and treatment outcomes associated with pornography addiction. Meanwhile, cognitive neuroscience research has utilized neuroimaging and experimental methods to elucidate the neural circuits and cognitive functions affected by excessive pornography use.
By integrating these complementary approaches, we can develop a more comprehensive understanding of how pornography addiction alters brain function and behavior in ways that may strain marital relationships. Specific areas of interest include changes in reward processing, executive function, and emotional regulation observed in individuals with pornography addiction. Additionally, this review will examine how these neuropsychological changes may contribute to decreased intimacy, trust issues, and sexual dysfunction within marriages affected by pornography addiction.
Understanding the neuropsychological basis of pornography addiction and its effects on intimate relationships can inform more effective prevention, assessment, and treatment strategies for couples struggling with this issue. This review aims to bridge clinical and cognitive perspectives to provide an integrated view of the current state of knowledge in this important area of research.
Further reading research articles related to neuropsychology and pornography:
These articles represent research conducted on the neuropsychological aspects of pornography use and addiction. They cover topics such as brain structure changes, functional connectivity, attentional bias, and the neuroscience of internet pornography addiction.
Banca, P., Morris, L. S., Mitchell, S., Harrison, N. A., Potenza, M. N., & Voon, V. (2016). Novelty, conditioning and attentional bias to sexual rewards. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 72, 91-101.
Brand, M., Snagowski, J., Laier, C., & Maderwald, S. (2016). Ventral striatum activity when watching preferred pornographic pictures is correlated with symptoms of Internet pornography addiction. NeuroImage, 129, 224-232.
Grubbs, J. B., & Kraus, S. W. (2021). Pornography use and psychological science: A call for consideration. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 30(1), 68-75.
Gola, M., & Draps, M. (2018). Ventral striatal reactivity in compulsive sexual behaviors. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 9, 546.
Gola, M., Wordecha, M., Sescousse, G., Lew-Starowicz, M., Kossowski, B., Wypych, M., … & Marchewka, A. (2017). Can pornography be addictive? An fMRI study of men seeking treatment for problematic pornography use. Neuropsychopharmacology, 42(10), 2021-2031.
Klucken, T., Wehrum-Osinsky, S., Schweckendiek, J., Kruse, O., & Stark, R. (2016). Altered appetitive conditioning and neural connectivity in subjects with compulsive sexual behavior. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 13(4), 627-636.
Kraus, S. W., Voon, V., & Potenza, M. N. (2016). Should compulsive sexual behavior be considered an addiction? Addiction, 111(12), 2097-2106.
Kühn, S., & Gallinat, J. (2014). Brain structure and functional connectivity associated with pornography consumption: The brain on porn. JAMA Psychiatry, 71(7), 827-834.
Kühn, S., & Gallinat, J. (2016). Neurobiological basis of hypersexuality. International Review of Neurobiology, 129, 67-83.
Laier, C., Pawlikowski, M., & Brand, M. (2014). Sexual picture processing interferes with decision-making under ambiguity. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 43(3), 473-482.
Love, T., Laier, C., Brand, M., Hatch, L., & Hajela, R. (2015). Neuroscience of internet pornography addiction: A review and update. Behavioral Sciences, 5(3), 388-433.
Mechelmans, D. J., Irvine, M., Banca, P., Porter, L., Mitchell, S., Mole, T. B., … & Voon, V. (2014). Enhanced attentional bias towards sexually explicit cues in individuals with and without compulsive sexual behaviours. PloS One, 9(8), e105476.
Prause, N., Steele, V. R., Staley, C., Sabatinelli, D., & Hajcak, G. (2015). Modulation of late positive potentials by sexual images in problem users and controls inconsistent with “porn addiction”. Biological Psychology, 109, 192-199.
Schmidt, C., Morris, L. S., Kvamme, T. L., Hall, P., Birchard, T., & Voon, V. (2017). Compulsive sexual behavior: Prefrontal and limbic volume and interactions. Human Brain Mapping, 38(3), 1182-1190.
Seok, J. W., & Sohn, J. H. (2015). Neural substrates of sexual desire in individuals with problematic hypersexual behavior. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 9, 321.
Stark, R., Klucken, T., Potenza, M. N., Brand, M., & Strahler, J. (2018). A current understanding of the behavioral neuroscience of compulsive sexual behavior disorder and problematic pornography use. Current Behavioral Neuroscience Reports, 5(4), 218-231.
Steele, V. R., Staley, C., Fong, T., & Prause, N. (2013). Sexual desire, not hypersexuality, is related to neurophysiological responses elicited by sexual images. Socioaffective Neuroscience & Psychology, 3(1), 20770.
Voon, V., Mole, T. B., Banca, P., Porter, L., Morris, L., Mitchell, S., … & Irvine, M. (2014). Neural correlates of sexual cue reactivity in individuals with and without compulsive sexual behaviours. PloS One, 9(7), e102419.
These studies cover various aspects of the neuropsychology of pornography use and related compulsive sexual behaviors, including brain imaging, neural correlates, and cognitive processes.
