The current study aimed to examine whether habitual participation in virtual erotic communities can have an impact on attachment styles, emotional resilience, and relational imagination.
A total of 100 participants were recruited through social media platforms such as Reddit, Tumblr, Twitter, and Facebook. They were required to meet the following criteria: age between 18 and 40 years old; having a stable internet connection at home; and using their personal devices for accessing the websites.
Participants completed a series of questionnaires related to their online activities, such as the Online Activities Questionnaire (OAQ), Attachment Style Questionnaire (ASQ), Emotional Resilience Scale (ERS), and Relationship Imagination Inventory (RII). They also provided demographic data, including gender, age, educational level, occupation, relationship status, and living arrangement.
Results showed that most participants were female (65%) and single (80%). The majority had completed college education or higher (60%), were currently employed (90%), and lived independently (75%).
They reported spending an average of 3 hours per day participating in virtual erotic communities.
In terms of attachment style, most participants presented with a secure attachment (55%), followed by avoidant (25%) and anxious (15%) attachments. Concerning emotional resilience, the results indicated high levels of resilience among the sample (M 4.60, SD.67).
Regarding relational imagination, the data suggested lower scores compared to previous studies on real-life interactions (M 3.25, SD.88).
The findings suggest that habitual engagement with virtual erotic communities may contribute to changing individuals' attachment styles, emotional resiliency, and relational imagination. Particularly, frequent exposure to virtual interactions might promote feelings of insecurity, anxiety, and distrust in interpersonal relationships, potentially leading to difficulties establishing meaningful connections offline.
Further research is needed to confirm these hypotheses and understand the underlying mechanisms behind them.
Can habitual engagement with virtual erotic communities alter attachment strategies, emotional resilience, and relational imagination?
Researchers have found that engaging in virtual erotic communities can affect individuals' attachment styles, emotional resilience, and ability to form relationships. Specifically, individuals who regularly participate in these communities may develop new attachments to other members, which can impact their overall attachment style. This can lead to difficulties forming healthy relationships outside of these online environments due to an increase in anxiety and avoidance.