Perceived Similarity, Utility, and Social Realism as Potential Mediators of the Link between Pornography Use and Condomless Sex

One of the most consistent findings in content analyses of popular, commonly consumed pornography is the near absence of condoms. A recent meta-analysis found that pornography use is associated with an increased likelihood of condomless sex, but the studies available for analysis rarely included measures of potential cognitive mediators underlying the association. Following the sexual script acquisition, activation, application model ((3)AM) of mediated sexual socialization and the differential susceptibility to media effects model (DSMM), the present study examined whether linkages between pornography use and condomless sex are mediated by perceived similarity to actors in pornography and heightened perceptions of pornography's utility and social realism. Social realism and similarity mediated the association between pornography consumption frequency and condomless sex in simple mediation models, but only social realism remained significant in a parallel process model inclusive of all three mediators.