Smash or Pass?: How the Big 5 relates to the type of pornography you consume

Authors: Lexe Ausa, Elizabeth Mahar

SUNY Campus: SUNY Fredonia

Presentation Type: Poster

Location: UU 111

Presentation #: 64

Timeslot: Session B 10:15-11:15 AM

Abstract: As the internet has made information more accessible than ever, it has never been easier to access pornography. Because of pornography’s prevalence, it is important to better understand how pornographic use relates to individual differences. This research project explores the links between Big Five personality traits and variety of pornographic fantasies viewed. We collected data from participants on a crowdsourcing website, Prolific Academic, and focused analyses on the 233 participants who reported viewing pornography within the past 6 months. Results showed that individuals exposed to pornography at a younger age exhibited higher levels of agreeableness (p = .029) and conscientiousness (p = .007). Furthermore, watching taboo sex pornography was linked to lower levels of conscientiousness (p = .008) and higher levels of extraversion (p = .017), while usage of pornography featuring themes of new experiences and partner sharing was associated with higher levels of extraversion (p = .047). Lastly, watching power and control pornography was associated with higher levels of neuroticism (p = .021). Our findings suggest that the Big Five personality traits are linked to factors like pornography preferences and age of exposure to pornography. These findings provide a deeper understanding of the psychological factors related to pornography consumption.