A global investigation of the Moral Incongruence Model of Pornography Use across genders, religions, and cultures

Background and aims: Millions of people struggle with compulsive/problematic pornography use (i.e., PPU) or self-perceived addiction (i.e., SPA) to pornography. Despite pornography's global availability and PPU's recent official recognition as a manifestation of compulsive sexual behavior disorder, these problems remain poorly understood, primarily due to a lack of rigorous research beyond small, homogeneous samples. To address this gap and provide evidence that is both robust and generalizable, we tested the applicability of the Moral Incongruence Model of Pornography Use across diverse populations. This model posits that individuals develop problems with their pornography use due to behavioral dysregulation (i.e., PPU) and/or when their use conflicts with their moral values (i.e., moral incongruence), often influenced by religious beliefs, resulting in SPA. Methods: Using data from the International Sex Survey (N = 66,994; 50.8% women), we examined the associations between religiosity, pornography use frequency, PPU, and SPA, considering moral incongruence as a moderator. We employed multi-group structural equation models across 34 countries, three genders, and seven religious affiliations. Results: Results indicated that the model was invariant across all countries, genders, and religious affiliations, with weak and positive associations between religiosity and PPU/SPA, and moderate-to-strong associations between pornography use frequency and PPU/SPA. Moral incongruence moderated the relationship between pornography use frequency and PPU/SPA, with stronger associations at higher levels of moral disapproval. Conclusions: These findings suggest that, regardless of cultural background, gender, or religion, the same mechanisms may underlie PPU/SPA, supporting the generalizability of the Moral Incongruence Model and its relevance to current international diagnostic guidelines.