JOINT PREDICTIVE POWER OF PAEDOPHILIC TENDENCY AND PORNOGRAOHIC ADDICTION ON SEXUAL BEHAVIOUR OF UNIVERSITY UNDERGRADUATES

Abstract

This study investigated the predictive power of paedophilic tendency and pornographic addiction on the sexual behaviour and school adjustment of university undergraduates in South-East Nigeria. Specifically, the study examined the individual and joint predictive power of paedophilic tendency and pornographic addiction on sexual behaviour and school adjustment and derived regression models for predicting the criterion variables. Eight research questions and eight null hypotheses guided the study. A correlational survey research design was adopted. The population comprised 148,712 undergraduate students enrolled in federal universities in South-East Nigeria during the 2024/2025 academic session. A sample of 1,148 undergraduates was selected using a multistage sampling procedure. Three instruments were used for data collection: the Paedophilic Tendency Scale (PTS), Pornographic Addiction Scale (PAS), and Sexual Behaviour Scale (SBS). The instruments were face-validated by three experts from the Faculty of Education, University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Cronbach alpha reliability coefficients of 0.76, 0.79, and 0.85 were obtained for the PTS, PAS, and SBS, respectively. Data were collected using Google Forms and analysed using simple and multiple regression analyses at the 0.05 level of significance. The findings revealed that paedophilic tendency significantly predicted university undergraduates' sexual behaviour and school adjustment. Pornographic addiction also significantly predicted both sexual behaviour and school adjustment. Furthermore, paedophilic tendency and pornographic addiction jointly and significantly predicted sexual behaviour and school adjustment. The derived regression models further indicated that pornographic addiction made the strongest contribution to the prediction of both criterion variables, positively predicting sexual behaviour but negatively predicting school adjustment, while paedophilic tendency also made significant contributions. The study concluded that paedophilic tendency and pornographic addiction are significant psychological and behavioural predictors of university undergraduates' sexual behaviour and school adjustment. It was recommended that universities should strengthen counselling and mental health services, implement comprehensive sexuality and digital wellness education programmes, establish early identification and intervention mechanisms for students exhibiting maladaptive behavioural tendencies, and promote responsible internet use to enhance students' psychosocial well-being and school adjustment.