Customer Reviews

The Skinner Box Effect: Sexual Addiction and Online Pornography

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Dr. Grunder has added a welcome addition to the lay literature on the subject of sexual addiction; now in the way of examining the effects of online pornography. Much like the Skinner experiments he describes, online pornography can take its hold on the viewer by, not only its content, but how it is presented. Both positive and negative reinforcement mechanisms to which we are all susceptible act to serve as the foundation for one's life to get out of control. The book starts out by outlining the characteristics of the sexual addict and then the arguments as to why online pornography is such a powerful addiction are presented. In an easy to read and accessible format the reader is taken through a series of soul baring stories of individuals who have fallen prey to the effects of online pornography. The book also outlines stories of recovery and is full of resources for those who need help as well as their loved ones. This book can be read in one sitting; its easy diction, the notes, and the different appendices with listing of online and offline resources makes it a smart investment for lay people as well as professionals alike.

I 'm still wondering who had the bright idea of inserting an AOL disk for 1,000 free hours behind the front cover of this book! Hello? As for help this book suggests getting rid of your computer and modem. Right. I suggest reading "In the Shadows of the Net"....an excellent book for help and support for this addiction.

Finding a book which moralizes about Internet porn is easy. Finding one with pseudo-scientific speculation (that takes you no where) also is easy. This is the only book I've seen which actually explains WHY Internet-based pornography is such a powerful draw to so many (the Skinner Box Effect), and explains how to get out of it. It was not just useful to me; it was a major eye-opener. If you only get one book on this subject--it should be THIS one.

First, I recommend, if possible, going to a book store and viewing any book before you consider purchasing it online to save money. Amazon.com only allows you to view a few pages of certain books and this really isnt sufficient for those trying to evaluate the contents of a book, particular an informative book like a self help book.

The Skinner Box Effect is 153 pages long, 8 chapters divided into 3 sections - Discovery, Recovery, and In Our Own Words, and include 4 appendixes - A List of National Twelve Step Groups (by address, phone and website with a total of 9), The Twelve Traditions of SLAA, Further Reading (recommended reading by the author on the subject with a total of 19), and a list of online resources (by website with a total of 17). The appendix portion comprises only about 10 of the 153 pages of this book.

Section 1 Discovery is made up of 3 chapters and like the title suggest, it walks you into the subject matter assuming that you, the reader, is a potential sex addict. So it provides material for the reader to evaluate the degree of their addiction. It discusses lightly why internet pornography is so potent and uses the skinner box effect to explain (if youre just interested in the title I suggest googling skinner box on the internet). The explanation is rather enlightening, but only one chapter is devoted to it and is never mentioned again throughout the rest of the book.
Section 2 Recovery is made up of 4 chapters and contains pretty much all the same things you'd find on the internet if you were to do a search on recovery for sex addiction. It has the twelve step program, the meditation, praying etc.
Section 3 In Our Own Words is actually just one chapter devoted to personal stories of sex addicts and how their addiction has destroyed their lives.

I purchased this book because the title caught my attention. It was scientific and I purchased this book thinking that the content would address the issue mostly if not strictly in a scientific manner. Unfortunately, The Skinner Box Effect did not meet my expectation, particularly in terms of dealing with sex addiction, where the author brings nothing new to the table rather he restates what treatments are currently available.

This book is written for sex addicts and their spouses. It is an easy read, user friendly - there a headers within each chapter, so its a page turner. If you've done research on the subject matter already, then purchasing this book would probably be a waste of money for you. If this is the first time you've ever investigated this subject, then this book is definitely a good start.

This book is an excellent resource for both clinicians with porn-addicted clients, and for the clients themselves. It clearly answers the question "Why" in terms that anyone can understand. I routinely assign this book as homework for my porn addicted clients.

What is the Skinner Box effect? Why is it not explained in the descrition of the book? It sound like it degrades Skinner. Why?