(180) VIRTUAL REALITY AND PORNOGRAPHY: THE IMPACT OF IMMERSIVE EFFECTS ON PORNOGRAPHY CONSUMPTION
JM Marques, MDT Scanavino, CPM FigueiredoAbstract
Introduction
Virtual reality (VR) technology contributes by providing a useful approach to behavioral observation and methodological safety to improve ecological validity and offers a promising tool for sex therapy interventions. We still lack information about the impact of VR when used in pornography consumption, since this technology is too recent, but authors hypothesize about its stimulus effects of immersion in sexual arousal.
Objective
This study investigates the impact of VR pornography on sexual behavior and its potential clinical applications. We contribute to a present review of the effects of stimuli immersion in VR on pornography consumption and describe in a synthesis of studies this effect in diverse sexual response outcomes.
Methods
Following PRISMA guidelines, we designed a research strategy describing types of studies, participants, data collection and outcomes, and search in four electronic databases (Pubmed, EMBASE, PsycInfo and Scielo) and made a full-text screening process, and last, assess studies based on GRADE protocol.
Results
The search found 149 articles and 11 meet eligibility criteria. The review highlights the limited research on VR pornography. Synthesis shows that most studies focused on the impact of level of immersion on diverse sexual responses. The existing studies primarily focus on correlations between VR immersion and physiological arousal during pornography consumption. The most frequent sexual response was erectile response, sexual attraction, and subjective sexual arousal. Most of the studies presented a significant methodology limitations like samplse size, randomization and allocation which in assessment studies show an uncertain risk of bias.
Conclusions
The literature is scarce and need to improve their methodology, even though it already shows relevant data for sex therapy intervention in pornography related problems. From this perspective, it could be a technology to improve psychological sexual dysfunctions because due to the immersion effect that has a greater impact on sexual arousal. Even with studies been applied to treat sexual related problems, more feasibility tests are still needed. On the other perspective, studies show concern about the use of VR in pornography consumption. Even though VR is not as widely consumed at domestic situations as other forms of pornography, its higher impact on sexual arousal due to level of immersion in virtual environment could worsen the impact of problematic pornography behavior. Further research on VR’s therapeutic applications and potential risks is crucial.
Disclosure
No.