Motives, interference, and preoccupation related to cybersex use: a study from gender

Abstract

Cybersex use responds to multiple motives of the users who engage in it. Literature note that some motivations may be related to indicators of problematic use, such as interference and related preoccupation. However, these  studies have not always considered the possible influence of gender on the expression and relationships of these variables. This paper aims to explore the motives for engaging in cybersex and, to analyze their relationship with indicators of interference and consumption-related preoccupation according to gender. For it, 276 participants (57.25% women; 43.75% men) aged between 18-48 years answered the Cuestionario de Prácticas Sexuales Online (CPSO, Salusex-Unisexsida, 2017), which assessed these variables. Finding material for masturbation was the main motive for men (88.1%) and women (69.4%) to engage in cybersex, followed by relaxing from stress for men (48.3%) and by learning about sex for women (41.1%). In men and women, relaxing from stress ( 2=6.459; p=.011; and 2=5.555; p=.018, respectively) and improving mood ( 2=4.247; p=.039 and 2=15.596; p<.001, respectively) were associated with higher use-related interference. Regarding preoccupation for use, in men it was related to use for distraction ( 2=4.139; p=.042), relaxing from stress ( 2=3.971; p=.046) and meeting other people ( 2=4.395; p=036), and in women it was only related to finding material to masturbate ( 2=13.520; p=.000). It is evident that cybersex use as an emotional regulator- to relieve stress and improve mood - is closely related to the experience of more interfering consumption in both genders. Likewise, this emotional regulator use, together with social and leisure motives, seem to be determinant in the trend to experience higher consumption related preoccupation, but only in men. This study has been carried out in part thanks to the predoctoral fellow ship RE-DOC/2019/59 of the UJI.