A typical usage scenario for sex dolls and sex robots

 A typical usage scenario for love dolls and sex robots is the domestic context, where the artifacts are available - after purchase - for recreational and long-term use at home. Some authors predict strong positive effects of sex dolls and sex robots, including social companionship, sexual exploration, pleasure, and increased satisfaction for individuals and couples. Others, focusing on male users, predict strong negative impacts in the form of objectification of and violence against women.

Sophisticated, responsive sex robots have recently been embodied by "Harmony", a blonde Barbie-like female male sex doll developed by Realbotix©, which has appeared in a number of documentaries and media pieces, and also has an accompanying app. Using artificial intelligence (AI) for speech and some limited movements, sexbots like Harmony are clearly several steps beyond inanimate sex dolls.

Valverde collected her data via an online survey of 61 members of an "online doll-owner community forum". Of those who completed the survey, 88% were male (12% female) and almost 90% (87%) were heterosexual. The average age of Lifelike sex doll owners was 43, with ages ranging from 20 to 69.

Just under three quarters (71%) of those surveyed were single and 65% made between $30,000 and $90,000 a year. The main purpose of owning a sex doll, reported by 70% of respondents, was for sex. In fact, 41% of doll owners said the doll was their primary sex partner. Thirty percent of doll owners said the primary purpose was society; 17% used the doll for sex with a partner. Doll possession/use was not without negative feelings - more than a third (37%) reported feeling shame, guilt or embarrassment.

"Hobby and art form" emerged as the final main motivation for owning dolls. This typically involved posing the dolls for photo sessions and creating pictures of them, although it also involved a range of other activities such as: "buying them clothes and dressing them", "doing their hair and makeup" to use them as "home decoration", treat them as "a work of art" or simply "be part of a collection".