If you’ve been following the “problematic porn use” (PPU) field, you may be aware of a campaign by allies of the porn industry to persuade the public that “PPU is merely religious shame dressed up as addiction anxiety.” The late Gary Wilson wrote about this masterful “red herring”.
Initially this campaign had some (undeserved) success, aided by the porn industry and its academic allies’ skillful promotion. Slowly, however, researchers are beginning to ask better questions. Also, reviewers have allowed some research that does not support the concept to pass their review. (In general, however, by the time research has been edited by reviewers who favor “moral incongruence,” it sounds like the concept is alive and well, regardless of the findings of the researchers, as in this recent example.)
So, it can be difficult to get a handle on the current status of the “moral incongruence” debate. To help visitors with questioning minds, here’s an update by a researcher in the field:
Many experts in sexology suggest that watching porn is typically a healthy habit. They argue that when people struggle with their porn use, the behavior/content itself isn’t the issue. Instead, they point to “sex-based shame,” religious guilt, or a general feeling that the behavior is wrong. While it is true that religious individuals are more likely to describe themselves as “addicted,” it is becoming harder to argue that shame is the only reason people feel they have a problem.
In research circles, this debate is known as Moral Incongruence (MI). This happens when someone believes porn is wrong but watches it anyway, creating an internal conflict. When this concept became popular around 2015, it was seen as the “opponent” to the addiction model. Many assumed that if you felt addicted to porn (measured as Problematic Pornography Use, or PPU), you weren’t actually struggling with the behavior; you were just feeling guilty. However, we now know that this view was a big oversimplification.
Rethinking the “Guilt vs. Addiction” Debate
Around five years ago, scholars began to argue that PPU and MI are not simply two sides of the same coin, but are actually two separate tracks that can exist at the same time or completely on their own. Three important theoretical papers from 2019 begun to challenge the “PPU vs MI” paradigm: Kraus & Sweeney (2019; https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-018-1301-9), Brand et al. (2019; https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-018-1293-5), and Vaillancourt-Morel & Bergeron, 2019; https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-018-1292-6). These researchers collectively noted two key flaws in older research: 1) the assumption that individuals experienced addiction and guilt in the same way, and 2) that MI is assumed to just be religious shame.
By extension, the following points came into view:
– Individuals are diverse: A person can struggle with compulsive, addiction-like behavior without a strong sense of “moral” conflict.
– Guilt isn’t just religious: Moral conflict doesn’t only come from faith; it can stem from personal or social values.
– The “Pure” Moral Conflict user: On the flip side, some people feel immense guilt over very minor use, even though they show no signs of actual behavioral struggle.Moving on from outdated models
Subsequent research from tens of thousands of people has dismantled the idea that feeling “addicted” to porn is always just a side effect of religious guilt.
Here is a breakdown of what the latest science tells us about the difference between actual problematic use and moral conflict.1. Most Moral Concerns Are Not Religious
It is a common myth that people only feel bad about porn because of their faith. However, a study of over 1,000 Americans who disapproved of porn showed that their reasons were incredibly varied (Hoagland et al., 2023; https://doi.org/10.1080/0092623X.2023.2186992). While about 30% cited religion, many others were worried about:
Ethics: 27% were concerned about the exploitation or abuse of performers.
Social Values: 20% viewed it through a feminist lens, and 19% worried about the impact on their families and marriages.
Personal Growth: 16% simply felt it was a “waste of time.”2. PPU Without Moral Incongruence
Data from a massive global study of 66,000 people (Bőthe et al., 2025; doi: 10.1556/2006.2024.00054) found that nearly 20% of users fell into a PPU-only category. These individuals showed high signs of problematic use but had very low moral conflict.
This was backed up by studies in China (Jiang et al., 2022, https://doi.
org/10.1556/2006.2022.00065; Chen et al., 2022, https://doi.org/10.1037/adb0000714), which found that even in online recovery forums, many members had only “middle-of-the-road” moral objections to porn. If their struggle was just about shame, you would expect their moral disapproval scores to be much higher.3. Addiction-Like Symptoms May Cause More Distress Than Guilt
A study of 2,300 men (Ince et al., 2025; doi: 10.1556/2006.2025.00022) identified different “profiles” of users. Some felt high moral guilt but had no addiction symptoms, while others had high addiction symptoms but low moral incongruence.
In fact, the “MI-only” group (with low PPU) actually had better mental health than the groups showing signs of PPU. This suggests that the actual behavior—not the shame—is what drives psychological distress and the need for professional help.The Bottom Line
We can no longer say that problematic porn use is “just religious shame,” although it is undoubtedly relevant for some individuals. Instead, the data shows that:
– Problematic use and moral/religious guilt are two separate things.
– You can feel addicted to pornography without experiencing moral- or religious-based shame.
– Moral disapproval often comes from secular, ethical, or relational concerns rather than just religion.