Prevalence and determinants of online-sex use in the German population.
The unlimited access to sexual features in the World Wide Web has raised concerns about excessive and problematic online-sex use. However, little is known about antecedents of internet-sex use of different intensity. Based on a representative German sample of 2,522 participants between the ages of 1...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2017-01-01
|
| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5476251?pdf=render |
| _version_ | 1819161734488784896 |
|---|---|
| author | Manfred E Beutel Sebastian Giralt Klaus Wölfling Yve Stöbel-Richter Claudia Subic-Wrana Iris Reiner Ana Nanette Tibubos Elmar Brähler |
| author_facet | Manfred E Beutel Sebastian Giralt Klaus Wölfling Yve Stöbel-Richter Claudia Subic-Wrana Iris Reiner Ana Nanette Tibubos Elmar Brähler |
| author_sort | Manfred E Beutel |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The unlimited access to sexual features in the World Wide Web has raised concerns about excessive and problematic online-sex use. However, little is known about antecedents of internet-sex use of different intensity. Based on a representative German sample of 2,522 participants between the ages of 14 and 97 years, the aims of the present study were (1) to determine the prevalence rates of online-sex users with the short version (ISSTGSV) of the Internet Sex Screening Test and (2) to associate online-sex use with anxious vs. avoidant partner attachment patterns and "Big Five" personality traits as potential antecedents.The ISST is a brief, one-dimensional and reliable measure of online-sex activities (rtt = .69). Overall, 14.7% of respondents reported occasional and 4.2% intensive online-sex use. In multivariate analysis, online-sex use was significantly positively associated with male sex, younger age, unemployment and an anxious partner attachment pattern and negatively with conscientiousness and agreeableness.Arousal and satisfaction by virtual enactment of sexual phantasies may be attractive for anxiously attached persons who find it difficult to commit to a real life relationship due to fear of rejection or low self-esteem. More knowledge about the individual antecedents of intensive online-sex use may also be helpful for the development of consultation and treatment strategies for excessive and addictive online-sex use. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T17:17:03Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-644b3ee394594f1799e02786762658ba |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T17:17:03Z |
| publishDate | 2017-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-644b3ee394594f1799e02786762658ba2022-12-21T18:18:55ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032017-01-01126e017644910.1371/journal.pone.0176449Prevalence and determinants of online-sex use in the German population.Manfred E BeutelSebastian GiraltKlaus WölflingYve Stöbel-RichterClaudia Subic-WranaIris ReinerAna Nanette TibubosElmar BrählerThe unlimited access to sexual features in the World Wide Web has raised concerns about excessive and problematic online-sex use. However, little is known about antecedents of internet-sex use of different intensity. Based on a representative German sample of 2,522 participants between the ages of 14 and 97 years, the aims of the present study were (1) to determine the prevalence rates of online-sex users with the short version (ISSTGSV) of the Internet Sex Screening Test and (2) to associate online-sex use with anxious vs. avoidant partner attachment patterns and "Big Five" personality traits as potential antecedents.The ISST is a brief, one-dimensional and reliable measure of online-sex activities (rtt = .69). Overall, 14.7% of respondents reported occasional and 4.2% intensive online-sex use. In multivariate analysis, online-sex use was significantly positively associated with male sex, younger age, unemployment and an anxious partner attachment pattern and negatively with conscientiousness and agreeableness.Arousal and satisfaction by virtual enactment of sexual phantasies may be attractive for anxiously attached persons who find it difficult to commit to a real life relationship due to fear of rejection or low self-esteem. More knowledge about the individual antecedents of intensive online-sex use may also be helpful for the development of consultation and treatment strategies for excessive and addictive online-sex use.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5476251?pdf=render |
| spellingShingle | Manfred E Beutel Sebastian Giralt Klaus Wölfling Yve Stöbel-Richter Claudia Subic-Wrana Iris Reiner Ana Nanette Tibubos Elmar Brähler Prevalence and determinants of online-sex use in the German population. PLoS ONE |
| title | Prevalence and determinants of online-sex use in the German population. |
| title_full | Prevalence and determinants of online-sex use in the German population. |
| title_fullStr | Prevalence and determinants of online-sex use in the German population. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Prevalence and determinants of online-sex use in the German population. |
| title_short | Prevalence and determinants of online-sex use in the German population. |
| title_sort | prevalence and determinants of online sex use in the german population |
| url | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC5476251?pdf=render |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT manfredebeutel prevalenceanddeterminantsofonlinesexuseinthegermanpopulation AT sebastiangiralt prevalenceanddeterminantsofonlinesexuseinthegermanpopulation AT klauswolfling prevalenceanddeterminantsofonlinesexuseinthegermanpopulation AT yvestobelrichter prevalenceanddeterminantsofonlinesexuseinthegermanpopulation AT claudiasubicwrana prevalenceanddeterminantsofonlinesexuseinthegermanpopulation AT irisreiner prevalenceanddeterminantsofonlinesexuseinthegermanpopulation AT anananettetibubos prevalenceanddeterminantsofonlinesexuseinthegermanpopulation AT elmarbrahler prevalenceanddeterminantsofonlinesexuseinthegermanpopulation |