Neuroscientists have found in one of the largest studies of Internet porn habits that any fears about the negative or corrupting influence of pornography are misguided.
For their new book ‘A Billion Wicked Thoughts’, neuroscientists Ogi Ogas and Sai Gaddam say they analysed as much data on internet pornography habits as they could find including more than a billion web searches.
The study, which they dubbed the ‘world’s largest experiment’, found a group of about 20 sexual interests that accounted for 80 per cent of all the porn people watched and spent money on.
The top five categories, in their words, are: youth, gays, MILFs (mothers), breasts and cheating wives.
Ogas said some of the interesting findings from his research included that men ‘prefer overweight women to underweight women’ and while men generally prefer younger women, there was significant sexual interest in older women including those in their 40s, 50s and 60s.
“There’s even an internationally popular genre of erotica known as granny porn,” the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Ogas as saying.
“The four body parts that both straight and gay men are wired to find sexually interesting are: chests, butts, feet and penises.
“Heterosexual men are very interested in looking at penises, especially large penises,” Ogas said.
The researchers have dismissed moral panic that argues pornography is encouraging men to pursue degrading and perverse sexual habits.
Ogas said porn was a reflection of male desires rather than a creator of male desires and erotica generally functioned to liberate and satisfy male sexual interests.
“There is an inverse correlation between the availability of pornography and rape: the more porn that’s available, the less rape,” said Ogas, adding extreme pornography was a rare indulgence and did not spill over into the viewer’s real life.
“Almost all fears about the negative or corrupting influence of pornography are misguided, and usually applied to other people’s sexual interests,” he said.
For their new book ‘A Billion Wicked Thoughts’, neuroscientists Ogi Ogas and Sai Gaddam say they analysed as much data on internet pornography habits as they could find including more than a billion web searches.
The study, which they dubbed the ‘world’s largest experiment’, found a group of about 20 sexual interests that accounted for 80 per cent of all the porn people watched and spent money on.
The top five categories, in their words, are: youth, gays, MILFs (mothers), breasts and cheating wives.
Ogas said some of the interesting findings from his research included that men ‘prefer overweight women to underweight women’ and while men generally prefer younger women, there was significant sexual interest in older women including those in their 40s, 50s and 60s.
“There’s even an internationally popular genre of erotica known as granny porn,” the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Ogas as saying.
“The four body parts that both straight and gay men are wired to find sexually interesting are: chests, butts, feet and penises.
“Heterosexual men are very interested in looking at penises, especially large penises,” Ogas said.
The researchers have dismissed moral panic that argues pornography is encouraging men to pursue degrading and perverse sexual habits.
Ogas said porn was a reflection of male desires rather than a creator of male desires and erotica generally functioned to liberate and satisfy male sexual interests.
“There is an inverse correlation between the availability of pornography and rape: the more porn that’s available, the less rape,” said Ogas, adding extreme pornography was a rare indulgence and did not spill over into the viewer’s real life.
“Almost all fears about the negative or corrupting influence of pornography are misguided, and usually applied to other people’s sexual interests,” he said.
