Click on image to enlarge
A study published earlier this year in the peer-reviewed medical journal JAMA Psychology, was conducted at the Max Planck Institute for Human
Development in Germany and used MRI scans to map the brain structures of
64 men, ages 21–45, who possessed a broad spectrum of pornography
consumption habits (from zero to 19.5 hours a week, with the average
being about four). Researchers measured the men’s reactions to both
pornographic and nonpornographic images. They found a correlation
between the amount of pornography subjects consumed in a week and
smaller volumes of grey matter in a part of the brain associated with
motivation and reward processing; less activity in a brain region
associated with sexual stimulation; and a decrease in connectivity
between the reward center and the region of the brain integral to
setting and achieving goals.
The researchers believe that, taken together, the data support
their theory that “pornography exposure might lead to wearing and down
regulation of the underlying brain structure, as well as function, and a
higher need for external stimulation of the reward system and a
tendency to search for novel and more extreme sexual material.” In other
words, regular porn consumption creates a negative spiral in which more
novel and extreme images are required to achieve the same results.
But don’t throw away that dirty DVD collection just yet. [Damien's note: Again, I realize that my visitors have no such dirty DVD collection, unless they mean dusty DVDs of Masterpiece Theater and such.]
The researchers presented a solid theory that elegantly explains
their findings and fits neatly with existing models of brain
architecture. But this study can’t tell us whether watching porn causes
changes in the regions of the brain involved in sex and motivation, or
whether some individuals are born with brains prewired to need extreme
reward and sexual stimulation, driving them to watch more porn.
Though the data do indicate a connection between porn consumption
and grey matter volume, it isn’t very strong. On a scale of zero to one,
the correlation ratio for porn hours and smaller grey matter clocks in
at an inconclusive 0.432. Furthermore, the study recruited relatively
few men (64, hardly representative) and relied on the subjects to
self-report their porn consumption habits — a notoriously unreliable
method of data collection when it comes to questions about sex.
More studies will be required if we want to fully understand the
long-term effects of sexually explicit material on the human brain.
Until that day comes, practice moderation; nothing pleasurable in life
comes without some kind of cost, so why would we expect porn to be any
different?
Source: The Advocate [surely an unbiased place to find out about porn]
Internet use is shaping our brains yes. We shall see.
ReplyDelete