You do not currently have permission to view the full text for this document. Please sign in to an account with an active subscription or contact support.
As Thomas Kalman points out there are at least two kinds of potential negative effects of Internet pornography (and pornography in general)—influences on beliefs, attitudes, and values as well as effects on professional life, family life, and relationships.
Publication in this Journal puts Dr. Kalman's work firmly in the therapeutic context. In my comments I would like to suggest that there is considerable potential for case studies and other studies on Internet pornography addicts to fill some important gaps in the understanding of pornography in media effects scholarship.
For the most part media research has focused on the now considerable evidence that both nonviolent and violent pornography contributes to a wide variety of negative effects (Oddone-Paolucci, Genuis, & Violato, 2000). These include acceptance of rape myths (Allen, Emmers, Gebhardt, & Giery, 1995), encouragement of aggressive behavior (Allen, D'Alessio, & Brezgel, 1995; Malamuth, Addison, & Koss, 2000; Vega & Malamuth, 2007), desensitization of audiences to victimization of women (Linz, Donnerstein, & Penrod, 1988), greater acceptance of sexual permissiveness and recreational attitudes toward sex (Lo & Wei, 2005; Peter & Valkenburg, 2006), reduction of men's esteem about their own bodies (Morrison, Ellis, Morrison, Bearden, & Harriman, 2006) as well as dissatisfaction with the physical appearance of sexual partners and sexual performance (Zillmann & Bryant, 1988).
It also seems well established that pornography can damage relationships and family life. Repeated exposure to pornography decreases trust of and satisfaction with romantic partners, their sexual performance and appearance. It also decreases perceptions of the value of monogamy and decreases desire for children (Zillmann, 1989). The use of Internet pornography seems to be a significant stressor in marriage