Conclusion
Current understanding of the potential manifestation of withdrawal-related symptoms during abstinence from pornography is still in its infancy. The present study is the first to prospectively examine the manifestation of withdrawal-related symptoms in abstaining participants in comparison to a non-abstaining control group, in contrast to previous research that has relied on retrospective self-report of perceived abstinence effects. The present study contributes preliminary data that represent a first step toward understanding whether and under what conditions withdrawal-related symptoms may (or may not) manifest when regular pornography users attempt to abstain from pornography use for a 7-day period. More prospective data across diverse samples are needed to verify and expand upon the findings of the present study.