The Role of Individual Differences in Predicting the Type of Images Collected by Internet Child Pornography Consumers

Seigfried-Spellar, Kathryn C. Ph.D., Purdue University, August 2011. The Role of Individual Differences in Predicting the Type of Images Collected by Internet Child Pornography Consumers. Major Professor: Marcus K. Rogers. The current study was the first to analyze the relationship among psychological characteristics, personality, and the types of images preferred or collected by selfreported consumers of Internet child pornography. This study had 4 specific aims: (1) to explore the personality differences between self-reported consumers and non-consumers of Internet child pornography, (2) to examine whether the self-reported male and female consumers of Internet child pornography exhibit different personality characteristics and traits from the non-consumers, (3) to assess the types of images preferred by the selfreported consumers of Internet child pornography, and (4) to determine whether or not there was a predictive relationship between the personality characteristics and the types of images preferred by the self-reported child pornography consumers. This study was conducted electronically using an Internet-based survey, which targeted respondents from the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada. By targeting current permanent residents from these countries, the study ensured the respondents were from countries where the possession, distribution, and production of Internet child pornography was illegal. Results suggested the self-reported child pornography users in