Studies Find That Sex Dolls Reduce Men’s Sexual Compulsivity

Critics demand a ban, but recent studies debunk the reasons they cite.

Updated May 21, 2026 | Reviewed by Ekua Hagan

As adult-looking sex dolls and robots become more popular, more lifelike, and—thanks to artificial intelligence —more animated, a chorus of critics warns of horrible consequences:

In a previous post , I discussed a study by English researchers who found that sex doll critics are mistaken on all counts. Their findings showed no significant mental health differences between sex doll owners and non-owners, and no evidence that, compared with non-owners, doll owners pose any greater sexual threat to women, children, themselves, or society.

Now, another report by German researchers has corroborated and extended those findings. The latest study shows that, far from posing dangers to women, children, themselves, or society, sex dolls can serve as safe, benign sexual substitutes for men who might otherwise commit sex crimes.

The researchers from the German Institute for Forensic Psychiatry recruited study participants from websites devoted to sex dolls. Who were they?

As doll use increased, the researchers found “there was an observable self-reported decrease in all dangerous or illegal sex-related behaviors … and a significant decrease in compulsive sexual behaviors.” Owners “used their dolls as alternative sexual outlets either because they could not find human partners, or because they could not otherwise live out their sexual interests with their partners.”

Benefits of Sex Dolls for Owners—and Society

Doll Panic: Rather Similar to the Hysteria Over Pornography

Many social conservatives claim that any sex other than vaginal intercourse in heterosexual marriages is problematic, if not pathological. So, it should come as no surprise that, without evidence, they accuse doll owners of mental illness and allege that dolls contribute to sex crimes.

Their attitudes dovetail with religious fundamentalists’ critique of pornography; they often insist that X-rated media contribute to sex crimes. But when porn viewers, overwhelmingly men, enjoy solo sex while watching porn, they are not out in the world raping women and children. When Eastern Europe was Communist, porn was illegal. Since then, several of those nations have legalized it—and uniformly, sex crimes have decreased .

Now, many are demonizing sex dolls and their users. But again, when men play with dolls, they are not abusing real women or children—and this study shows that they lose interest in doing so.

Those who hold anti-doll sentiments are mistaken. The researchers concluded that their findings “contradict the dystopian picture that sex dolls reinforce problematic sexual behaviors.”

Facebook image: MAYA LAB/Shutterstock

Desbuleux, JC and J Fuss. “The Self-Reported Real-World Consequences of Sex Doll Use,” Journal of Sex Research (2024) 61:1261. Doi: 10.1080/00224499.2023.2199727.

Desbuleux, JC and J Fuss. “Is the Anthropomorphization of Sex Dolls Associated with Objectification and Hostility Toward Women? A Mixed Method Study Among Doll Users,” Journal of Sex Research (2023) 60:206. Doi: 10.1080/00224499.2022.2103071.

Harper, CA et al. “Exploring the Psychological Characteristics and Risk-Related Cognitions of Individuals Who Own Sex Dolls,” Journal of Sex Research (2023) 60:190. Doi: 10.1080/00224499.2022.2031848.

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Michael Castleman, M.A. , is a San Francisco-based journalist. He has written about sexuality for 36 years.

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This article is part of the Bringwise Psychology Journal — daily insights on human behavior, mental health, and personal growth.