Displacing problems: a constructivist grounded theory of problematic pornography use

Introduction: Research indicates that pornography is not inherently harmful for the individual, however, many users consider their use to be problematic. The majority of research concerning problematic pornography use (PPU), often referred to as pornography addiction, discusses nomenclature rather than having an applied focus. Given the lack of theoretical development in this area, a constructivist grounded theory was undertaken with the aim of creating an understanding of the development and maintenance of PPU. Methods: Participants were required to have self-reported PPU and were recruited from online sources. Two main sources of data collection were used: journals of last pornography use, and semi structured interviews. 258 journals of pornography use, and 21 semi-structured interviews were completed. Results: Five interlinked categories were constructed from the data. All participants were seen by the author and constructed as having underlying distinct problems prior to their self-reported PPU; histories of loneliness and isolation, trauma and mental health, they were struggling with their sexual orientation, or sexual dysfunction. Their pornography use had changed function over time, from enjoyment to habitual and instrumental use, mostly being used as a form of emotional regulation. The participants pornography use impacted upon their functioning, their ability to work, study, and socialise. The participant’s discovery and identification of ‘having PPU’ was constructed as occurring by proxy, through an external means - the commonest source was online forums; when participants reached out for information, they were met with an addiction narrative and consequently saw themselves as addicted to pornography. Once this narrative was internalised it appeared to displace the distinct problems as a causative framework. The participants now saw their main problem as pornography addiction, rather than related to other pre-existing distinct problems. This process of displacement was conceptualised as the core category in this grounded theory in that it led participants to committing to a mission, attempting to conquer their addiction. Once they had embarked upon their mission, the underlying distinct problems became secondary to the participants, and often seen as resulting from their pornography use. Discussion: The constructivist grounded theory was situated alongside current theory and research. Some aspects of the grounded theory were judged as having similarities to existing theories, but when taken as a whole it was proposed that the grounded theory is original, having clear implications for future research and clinical practice.