People who frequently watch pornography or engage in regular masturbation may respond differently to sexual stimuli. Researchers from Germany have found that while such individuals still enjoy viewing erotic images, their bodies respond less strongly to signals that precede the appearance of sexual content. The study was published in the journal Biological Psychology (BP).
The researchers suggested that frequent porn consumption is not associated with increased sexual desire, but rather with a "reward deficit": such individuals may derive less pleasure from sexual stimuli and therefore seek it more often, as if increasing the "dose."
The experiment involved 62 volunteers. They were shown neutral visual cues that were sometimes followed by either erotic images and sounds or unpleasant stimuli. The participants' physiological responses — such as pupil dilation, skin conductance, and other arousal indicators — were measured. They also completed questionnaires evaluating the frequency and intensity of their sexual behavior.
It turned out that those who watched porn or masturbated more frequently showed less pupil dilation in response to cues predicting sexual content. Their bodies "anticipated" the reward less intensely, even though the erotic images were still perceived as pleasurable. This effect was observed only for visual stimuli — sexual audio recordings triggered normal reactions.
The researchers believe this detachment may be a sign of habituation: as with other forms of addiction, the brain begins to respond less to familiar stimuli and craves newer, more intense ones.
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