Brown, A. P. (2015). The Relationship Among Male Pornography Use, Attachment, and Aggression in Romantic Relationships. 

DOI: Unpublished dissertation. No DOI available. 

Study type: Qualitative study. Participants answered an online RELATE questionnaire about the perception of themselves and their partner in four categories of functioning including: individual, couple, family, and social. 

Sample size: 22

Demographics: All participants in the study completed the RELATE questionnaire between March 2011 and January 2014. All participants at least 18 years of age. The sample included 1,630 couples of which 1,609 couples were heterosexual, and 21 couples were missing one partner’s gender self-identification. Age for males ranged 18-79 years (M = 32.57, S.D. = 9.22); age for females ranged 18-70 (M =30.67, S.D. = 9.75); Reported religious affiliation for males: Protestant (34.3%), None (29.9%), Catholic (19.9%), Other (14.1%), Latter-Day Saint (1.8%). Reported religious affiliation for females: Protestant (33.6%), None (23.7%), Other (22.1%), Catholic (17.7%), and Latter-Day Saint (2.9%).

Key findings & quotes: 

• The study examined patterns of insecure attachment, relational aggression and physical aggression as a direct or indirect result of male pornography use.
• Relational aggression was defined as a form of non-physical aggression from one or both partners that harm the relationship.
• Men that use pornography are less likely to be committed to their relationship, diminishing a sense of security for their partner, and decreasing attachment behaviors.
• “Male pornography use is directly linked with female physical aggression and indirectly linked with male physical aggression.”
• “Actor effects showed insecure attachment behaviors and relational aggression mediate the relationship between male pornography use and male and female physical aggression.”
• “Male pornography use has been directly related to male and female insecure attachment behaviors.”