The term “kink” refers to a community of people and a practice of sexual activities that engage in power exchanges with their partner(s), pain, and/or restraint in a myriad of different contexts, that may or may not occur in an overt sexual context (Meyer & Chen, 2019). “Kink” can be used interchangeably with the acronym BDSM, which stands for bondage, dominance/discipline, sadism/submission, masochism. The overall purpose of this study was to learn more about those who are part of the kink community. This research is important because the current literature on those who engage in kink is relatively small and more information is needed on this population. Findings from this study may help therapists working with kink-oriented clients in the form of more understanding and in the provision of better care. Findings from this study may also contribute to the reduction of stigma associated with this population. I sought to answer the following questions: (1) Do kink members manifest symptoms of psychopathology more than non-kink individuals? And (2) Can interest in kink activities be predicted from variables related to psychopathology? Undergraduate students (n = 159; 110 females, 41 males, 2 trans, 2 “other”, 4 whom did not report their gender) completed questionnaires assessing: interest in kink, maladjustment (symptoms of depression, anxiety, and somatization), sadism, aggressiveness, antisocial behaviors, narcissism, histrionic behaviors, autonomous thinking, and empathy. Results indicated the following: Overall, there were no differences between members of the kink community versus non-kink members on study variables. Additional regression analyses revealed that those interested and open to kink activities tend to be autonomous (or independent) thinkers, less self-centered (i.e., narcissistic), and more concerned with ethics (e.g., obtaining consent for sex) than those not interested in kink activities. However, results also indicated that those interested in kink tend to enjoy attention (i.e., engage in histrionic behaviors). All considered, the data suggest that more individuals are open to, and have engaged in, kink-related sexual activities compared to those who openly self-identify as members of the kink community. Moreover, many of those who are open to and/or have engaged in kink are not necessarily any more pathological with respect to their psychological adjustment compared to non-kink people. With the exception of liking attention, these results suggest that kink members are more independently minded (i.e., concern themselves less for how others think or view them), less self-centered in some aspects, and recognize the importance of ethics, presumably as it relates to obtaining consent for sexual activities with others. Discussions of these results are provided.

No description available.

My dissertation uses multiple methods to introduce the novel concept of racial sexual preference - individuals’ preferences for a sexual or romantic partner based on race. This project builds on an insight from Daryl Bem’s “Exotic Becomes Erotic” theory of sexual development: a diverse set of sexual preferences exists beyond gender. I argue the very real social consequences of race make preferences in regard to it (sexual or otherwise) an important area for systematic study. I focus on gay male subculture, which has uniquely developed a terminology for expressing racial preferences. I investigate how racial preference is understood and organized within this subculture by collecting gay men’s sexual history narratives of cross-race preferences through interviews, as well as collecting archival materials from the national organization Black and White Men Together (BWMT) that pertain to racial sexual preference. I find that racial sexual preferences are experienced early in the life course and are consistent over time, similarly to experiences of gendered sexual orientation, though generally less exclusive. Unlike gendered sexual orientation, identities are unlikely to form in relation to racial sexual preferences because there is little ideological structure to support expression of cross-race racial preferences. Even within the organizational structure of BWMT, founded to support racial sexual preferences, over time I find a decrease in discourse and identity related to racial sexual preference (in favor of a colorblind ideal of preferences). I end my study by using the concept of racial sexual preference, supported by the findings from interviews and case study, to build on and challenge the theoretical work of Daryl Bem, Lisa Diamond, and James Giles in the area of sexual development and desire.

Same-sex experiences are more prevalent than is thought. Individuals often engage in same-sex behaviours in order to understand their same-sex attractions, which may result in the incorrect integration of a homosexual or bisexual sexual identity. Same-sex behaviour may also lead to feelings of guilt and shame, and can result in confusion regarding sexual identity, which could ultimately influence the successful integration of a sexual identity (a key developmental task during adolescence) and subsequent stages of an individual’s life. This study investigated how young males experienced their sexual identity after having same-sex experiences. In order to better understand these experiences, this study also looked at sexual identity and its development from a psychosocial approach. In addition, this study also took a phenomenological approach into account to better understand how young males understand their same-sex experiences within their socio-cultural context. The qualitative research method was used because it aims to understand how people make sense of their everyday lives and foregrounds participants’ perceptions and experiences. When researching human behaviour, context and behaviour cannot be separated and therefore a phenomenological design was used. The population included five young males who lived in the Boland and Northern suburbs of the Western Cape and who have had same-sex experiences. The participants were selected utilizing the non-probability (convenient purposive) sampling technique, however, the sampling procedure also made use of snowball sampling. Biographically, the participants were between the ages of 18 and 24, and had different sexual orientations. The participants included black and white students who spoke Afrikaans or English, and originated from different provinces in South Africa. Data were collected through a two-part semi-structured interview. The first interview focused on questions about the participants’ sexual preference and identity, same-sex experiences and support system. During the second interview participants were asked to make a collage representing how they viewed their sexual identity with regards to the same-sex experiences they have had. This interview also focused on member checking. The collages and member checking served as forms of triangulation. Data were transcribed and analysed by means of a content analysis that focused on four main categories. These categories corresponded to four main questions that formed part of the first interview. The researcher concluded that each participant experienced his sexual identity and same-sex encounters differently and that none of them experienced the development of their sexual identity as ‘natural’ or as something that was present from birth. They all experienced confusion and conflict about their sexual preference because it was in contrast to their sociocultural context. Same-sex experiences were the result of confusion but also caused confusion and this confusion was mostly experienced in the earlier life stages. More research is needed on the heterosexual identity development of heterosexual identified individuals who have same-sex experiences, so that these individuals can also be accommodated within a sexuality. The development of programmes for therapeutic and/or educational purposes, that focus on the sexual identity and sexual identity development of adolescents, must also be considered in future research. / MA (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Same-sex experiences are more prevalent than is thought. Individuals often engage in same-sex behaviours in order to understand their same-sex attractions, which may result in the incorrect integration of a homosexual or bisexual sexual identity. Same-sex behaviour may also lead to feelings of guilt and shame, and can result in confusion regarding sexual identity, which could ultimately influence the successful integration of a sexual identity (a key developmental task during adolescence) and subsequent stages of an individual’s life. This study investigated how young males experienced their sexual identity after having same-sex experiences. In order to better understand these experiences, this study also looked at sexual identity and its development from a psychosocial approach. In addition, this study also took a phenomenological approach into account to better understand how young males understand their same-sex experiences within their socio-cultural context. The qualitative research method was used because it aims to understand how people make sense of their everyday lives and foregrounds participants’ perceptions and experiences. When researching human behaviour, context and behaviour cannot be separated and therefore a phenomenological design was used. The population included five young males who lived in the Boland and Northern suburbs of the Western Cape and who have had same-sex experiences. The participants were selected utilizing the non-probability (convenient purposive) sampling technique, however, the sampling procedure also made use of snowball sampling. Biographically, the participants were between the ages of 18 and 24, and had different sexual orientations. The participants included black and white students who spoke Afrikaans or English, and originated from different provinces in South Africa. Data were collected through a two-part semi-structured interview. The first interview focused on questions about the participants’ sexual preference and identity, same-sex experiences and support system. During the second interview participants were asked to make a collage representing how they viewed their sexual identity with regards to the same-sex experiences they have had. This interview also focused on member checking. The collages and member checking served as forms of triangulation. Data were transcribed and analysed by means of a content analysis that focused on four main categories. These categories corresponded to four main questions that formed part of the first interview. The researcher concluded that each participant experienced his sexual identity and same-sex encounters differently and that none of them experienced the development of their sexual identity as ‘natural’ or as something that was present from birth. They all experienced confusion and conflict about their sexual preference because it was in contrast to their sociocultural context. Same-sex experiences were the result of confusion but also caused confusion and this confusion was mostly experienced in the earlier life stages. More research is needed on the heterosexual identity development of heterosexual identified individuals who have same-sex experiences, so that these individuals can also be accommodated within a sexuality. The development of programmes for therapeutic and/or educational purposes, that focus on the sexual identity and sexual identity development of adolescents, must also be considered in future research. / MA (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

L’objectif principal de cette thèse est de comprendre l’origine de la variabilité d’expression du comportement sexuel (CS). Nous avons trouvé que l’approche latérale est le CS le plus exprimé et que sa quantification peut servir comme mesure de la libido et donner une idée de la performance. Nous avons montré des effets remarquables de l’âge et de la lumière sur le CS du bélier. Nous avons également montré que les structures cérébrales impliquées dans la phase motivationnelle et consommatoire ne étaient pas les mêmes et que quel que soit le partenaire sexuel préféré, l’exposition à ce partenaire provoquait une activation des mêmes structures cérébrales ; le niveau de libido semble être déterminé par des sites spécifiques et bien précis comme l’aire préoptique, le noyau paraventriculaire et la partie médiane du Lit de la strie terminale. Le Cortex ent pourrait fonctionner comme un inhibiteur de la motivation hétérosexuelle. / The main objective of this thesis was to acquire a better understanding of the origin of the variability of the expression of sexual behavior. The nudging is most expressed sexual behavior and quantification of this behavior can be used to measure their libido and give a clue on their performance. We have discovered the remarkable effects of age et lighting of the ram's sexual behavior and that the cerebral structures involved in the motivation phase and consummatory phase are not the same and seems that, no matter which sexual partner is chosen, the fact of being exposed to this partner provokes the activation of these cerebral structures et what the expression of sexual motivation level seems to have specific and precise sites in the Preoptic Area, the Paraventricular Nucleus (PVN) and the Nucleus of the bed of the striae terminalis medial (BNSTmed). The Entorhinal cortex could function as an inhibitor of heterosexual motivation.

TITLE: Attachment regarding individuals with sexual preference disorder AUTHOR: Irena Golebiowská DEPARTMENT: Psychology SUPERVISOR: PhDr. Bc. Ivana Křížová, Ph.D. Abstract This Master's thesis deals with the nature of attachment regarding individuals with sexual preference disorder. The aim is to examine in depth early and later relationship experiences of selected individuals with sexual preference disorder and to evaluate their potential significance in the context of psychosexual development and sexually delinquent behaviour of these people. The theoretical part first introduces the concept of attachment and outlines the background and the basic concepts of the attachment theory. The following part describes types of attachment and selected methods of assessing adult attachment. The next section provides a summary of key information about sexual preference disorders. Attention is paid to the classification and basic theories of origin of the sexual preference disorders. The psychosexual development of individuals with paraphilia and the specifics of the concept of sexual delinquency are also briefly described. Finally, it outlines the possible significance of the nature of emotional attachment in the context of sexual preference disorders. The empirical part of the thesis presents life stories of three...

Esta dissertação é resultado de um estudo socioantropológico que teve como objetivo identificar e analisar as práticas de socialização juvenil contemporâneas entre os evangélicos. Pretendeu-se compreender o contexto e os modos como as experiências sociais da juventude são constituídas, bem como os modos de adesão, resistência, preservação, inovação e dissidência. A pesquisa foi realizada, com o apoio da Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo, na Comunidade Evangélica Sara Nossa Terra Rua Augusta, em São Paulo SP, uma denominação do alto neopentecostalismo brasileiro. A partir de um trabalho de campo etnográfico de dois anos, realizado junto à igreja e aos seus jovens, foi possível analisar as estratégias e as tensões existentes em torno da socialização para a sexualidade e a fé. Descrevem-se e analisam-se: a) os afetos, as familiaridades e os estranhamentos no encontro etnográfico entre jovem pesquisador e jovens pesquisados; b) as práticas de lazer e de liturgia da igreja (cultos e baladas), por meio dos conceitos de festa, cosmopolitismo e hibridação; c) o lugar do jovem na interação social e no discurso da igreja, sob um modelo organizacional denominado de Visão G12; d) a construção social do gosto afetivo-sexual, uma categoria nativa interpelada teoricamente, bem como do exercício do sexo, a partir do consumo de mídia pornográfica entre os jovens; e) as trocas simbólicas e o circuito de dádivas em torno da socialização para a sexualidade. Para compreender a socialização, inspirou-se nos conceitos de configuração de Norbert Elias, habitus de Pierre Bourdieu, experiência e programa institucional de François Dubet, disposições híbridas de habitus e socialização como fenômeno social total de Maria da Graça Jacintho Setton. No tocante à etnografia, à juventude, aos evangélicos e à sexualidade, utilizou-se um amplo referencial teórico socioantropológico clássico e contemporâneo. Observou-se abalos sísmicos no processo de socialização juvenil na igreja evangélica, resultantes de adesões e de dissidências de gostos afetivo-sexuais de mesmo sexo e de sexo oposto em relação ao agendamento da sexualidade proposto pela igreja. As adesões e as transgressões são, portanto, resultado da configuração e do encontro antropológico entre diferentes instâncias e sujeitos da socialização, o que resulta em um caleidoscópio de sujeitos e de práticas culturais no interior da igreja, bem como na reconfiguração dos mecanismos de controle dócil. / This dissertation is the result of a socioanthropological study whose goal was to identify and to analyze contemporary socialization practices of youth among evangelists. The purpose was to understand the context and the forms through which social experiences of young people are constructed, as well as their forms of acceptance, resistance, upholding, innovation and dissension. The research, supported by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo FAPESP, was carried out at Sara Nossa Terra (Heal our Earth) Evangelical Community - located on Augusta Street in the city of São Paulo - SP, a faith inserted in the high Brazilian neo-Pentecostalism trend. Based on a two-year ethnographical field work carried out with the church and its youth, it was possible to analyze the existing strategies and tensions around socialization for sexuality and faith. The study describes and analyzes: a) affections, familiarities and unfamiliarities in the ethnographic meeting between the young researcher and the researched youth; b) leisure practices and church liturgy (church services and parties), based on the concepts of party, cosmopolitism and hybridization; c) the place of young people in the social interaction and in the discourse of the church, under an organizational model called Vision G12; d) the social construction of romantic-sexual preference, a native category theoretically questioned, as well as the exercise of sex, based on the consumption of pornography by the youth; e) the symbolic exchanges and the circuit of gifts around the socialization for sexuality. The inspiration for understanding socialization emerge from the concepts of configuration by Norbert Elias, habitus by Pierre Bourdieu, experience and institutional program by François Dubet, hybrid dispositions of habitus and socialization as a total social phenomenon by Maria da Graça Jacintho Setton. A wide range of classic and contemporary socioanthropological theoretical references about ethnography, youth, evangelists and sexuality were used in this study. Some seismic events were observed in the youth socialization process in the evangelical church, result of both acquiescence and disagreement about romantic-sexual preferences for same sex and opposite sex regarding the sexuality schedule proposed by the church. Conformities and offenses are, therefore, results of the configuration and the anthropological confluence between different socialization instances and subjects, which results in a kaleidoscope of subjects and cultural practices within the church, as well as in the reconfiguration of the mechanisms of docile control.

Esta dissertação é resultado de um estudo socioantropológico que teve como objetivo identificar e analisar as práticas de socialização juvenil contemporâneas entre os evangélicos. Pretendeu-se compreender o contexto e os modos como as experiências sociais da juventude são constituídas, bem como os modos de adesão, resistência, preservação, inovação e dissidência. A pesquisa foi realizada, com o apoio da Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo, na Comunidade Evangélica Sara Nossa Terra Rua Augusta, em São Paulo SP, uma denominação do alto neopentecostalismo brasileiro. A partir de um trabalho de campo etnográfico de dois anos, realizado junto à igreja e aos seus jovens, foi possível analisar as estratégias e as tensões existentes em torno da socialização para a sexualidade e a fé. Descrevem-se e analisam-se: a) os afetos, as familiaridades e os estranhamentos no encontro etnográfico entre jovem pesquisador e jovens pesquisados; b) as práticas de lazer e de liturgia da igreja (cultos e baladas), por meio dos conceitos de festa, cosmopolitismo e hibridação; c) o lugar do jovem na interação social e no discurso da igreja, sob um modelo organizacional denominado de Visão G12; d) a construção social do gosto afetivo-sexual, uma categoria nativa interpelada teoricamente, bem como do exercício do sexo, a partir do consumo de mídia pornográfica entre os jovens; e) as trocas simbólicas e o circuito de dádivas em torno da socialização para a sexualidade. Para compreender a socialização, inspirou-se nos conceitos de configuração de Norbert Elias, habitus de Pierre Bourdieu, experiência e programa institucional de François Dubet, disposições híbridas de habitus e socialização como fenômeno social total de Maria da Graça Jacintho Setton. No tocante à etnografia, à juventude, aos evangélicos e à sexualidade, utilizou-se um amplo referencial teórico socioantropológico clássico e contemporâneo. Observou-se abalos sísmicos no processo de socialização juvenil na igreja evangélica, resultantes de adesões e de dissidências de gostos afetivo-sexuais de mesmo sexo e de sexo oposto em relação ao agendamento da sexualidade proposto pela igreja. As adesões e as transgressões são, portanto, resultado da configuração e do encontro antropológico entre diferentes instâncias e sujeitos da socialização, o que resulta em um caleidoscópio de sujeitos e de práticas culturais no interior da igreja, bem como na reconfiguração dos mecanismos de controle dócil. / This dissertation is the result of a socioanthropological study whose goal was to identify and to analyze contemporary socialization practices of youth among evangelists. The purpose was to understand the context and the forms through which social experiences of young people are constructed, as well as their forms of acceptance, resistance, upholding, innovation and dissension. The research, supported by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo FAPESP, was carried out at Sara Nossa Terra (Heal our Earth) Evangelical Community - located on Augusta Street in the city of São Paulo - SP, a faith inserted in the high Brazilian neo-Pentecostalism trend. Based on a two-year ethnographical field work carried out with the church and its youth, it was possible to analyze the existing strategies and tensions around socialization for sexuality and faith. The study describes and analyzes: a) affections, familiarities and unfamiliarities in the ethnographic meeting between the young researcher and the researched youth; b) leisure practices and church liturgy (church services and parties), based on the concepts of party, cosmopolitism and hybridization; c) the place of young people in the social interaction and in the discourse of the church, under an organizational model called Vision G12; d) the social construction of romantic-sexual preference, a native category theoretically questioned, as well as the exercise of sex, based on the consumption of pornography by the youth; e) the symbolic exchanges and the circuit of gifts around the socialization for sexuality. The inspiration for understanding socialization emerge from the concepts of configuration by Norbert Elias, habitus by Pierre Bourdieu, experience and institutional program by François Dubet, hybrid dispositions of habitus and socialization as a total social phenomenon by Maria da Graça Jacintho Setton. A wide range of classic and contemporary socioanthropological theoretical references about ethnography, youth, evangelists and sexuality were used in this study. Some seismic events were observed in the youth socialization process in the evangelical church, result of both acquiescence and disagreement about romantic-sexual preferences for same sex and opposite sex regarding the sexuality schedule proposed by the church. Conformities and offenses are, therefore, results of the configuration and the anthropological confluence between different socialization instances and subjects, which results in a kaleidoscope of subjects and cultural practices within the church, as well as in the reconfiguration of the mechanisms of docile control.

This study investigated distortion that occurs when raw scores are converted to ipsative scores on Affinity 2.0, a relatively new instrument for assessing sexual interest. Using a sample of 146 non-offending, heterosexual females, this study examined the characteristics of distorted ipsative score profiles and attempted to develop an algorithm to identify such distortions. A method was developed for defining distortion objectively. Of the 146 profiles,125 were found to contain some degree of distortion. Several hypotheses were formulated as to variables that might be related to distortion. These relationships were examined using Pearson Product Moment Correlations. Several statistically significant, but weak, correlations were found. An interaction effect was calculated for four of these variables, and was found to have a moderately strong correlation with distortion (r = .530, p <.01). An algorithm for identifying distortion was developed using this interaction effect. Several cut-off scores were tested. The most effective cut-off only correctly identified 42.9% of the significantly distorted profiles. Implications and limitations of the results are discussed, and directions for future research are provided.