So, I've been digging into some research because of the blog post in which a person claims BDSM comes from trauma. I wanted to see what the literature says and unfortunately, I did not find a ton of stuff, and I also don’t have the kind of free time to track it down. I did find one interesting 2013 study to note here in a quick blog. It's interesting because most studies mainly focused on the demographics and preferences of BDSM practitioners, but this one took a deeper dive into their psychology.
The researchers aimed to understand whether there are distinct psychological characteristics among BDSM practitioners and whether these characteristics differ based on their roles in BDSM, like subs, switches, or doms, compared to non-BDSM folks.
Here's what they found: Overall, BDSM practitioners tend to have some unique personality traits. They're less prone to anxiety (less neurotic), more extroverted, open to new experiences, and conscientious. The only thing is, they can be a bit less agreeable than non-BDSM individuals.
Interestingly, BDSM practitioners also seem to handle rejection better, and female BDSM participants feel more confident in their relationships, care less about seeking approval, and experience less anxious attachment compared to those who aren't into BDSM. Moreover, BDSM practitioners report higher levels of subjective well-being, meaning they generally feel happier.
One particularly intriguing finding challenges the idea that a history of traumatic experiences or insecure attachment might lead to a preference for BDSM. Surprisingly, the control group (non-BDSM participants) had the lowest attachment scores. The dominants in BDSM scored the highest, and even the subs had attachment scores similar to or better than the control group. So, it's not a clear-cut relationship.
Another factor contributing to higher well-being among BDSM practitioners could be the emphasis on explicit communication and consent in BDSM activities, which leads to more satisfying experiences.
Of course, every study has its limitations. In this case, the participants who took the BDSM survey were probably already interested in BDSM, which could have biased the results. Plus, the control group had its own unique characteristics because they were drawn from a website where people share their secrets anonymously. So, these findings might not apply to the entire population.
In summary, this research suggests that BDSM practitioners often possess a distinctive set of positive traits and generally report higher levels of happiness. This challenges the stereotype that they might have psychological issues and supports the idea that BDSM is more about enjoyment and consensual exploration than anything else. It's an interesting perspective into the minds of BDSM enthusiasts, for sure.
If you have access below is the citation for the peer-reviewed article I based the blog from!
Wismeijer, & van Assen, M. A. L. M. (2013). Psychological Characteristics of BDSM Practitioners. Journal of Sexual Medicine, 10(8), 1943–1952. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsm.12192
