BDSM is a globally accepted abbreviation that combines alternative sexual practices and stands for «bondage, domination, sadism, masochism.» In the past, BDSM was considered deviant and pathological, but recently attitudes towards it have changed.
According to the results of the new , interest in BDSM is quite common in Finland.
As part of the survey, 8 participants were asked a variety of questions related to BDSM. They also passed a personality test. Thus, 137% of women and 37% of men were sexually dominated at least once, while 23% of women and 25% of men sexually dominated their partner at least once. In addition, 32% of women and 38% of men reported an interest in BDSM.
“People might think that this is a very niche group, but the results highlight the surprising generality of interest shown in BDSM,” said study author Markus Paarnio.
The researchers also found that both men and women who were interested in BDSM could be described as «open to new experiences» and women in general as «less accommodating». But these relationships «were tenuous at best, leading to no real practical conclusions.» “It seems that the personalities of people who are interested in BDSM are no different from those who are not,” Paarnio said.
It has also been found that youth and non-heterosexual people are more interested in BDSM.
However, some important variables were not considered in this study. The scientists did not take into account the education of the respondents. «Previous work points to the fact that BDSM practitioners are generally more educated than non-practitioners,» said Markus Paarnio.
Despite the new data, scientists still have a lot to learn about the psychology of BDSM. So, for example, future studies will have to consider the issue of its prevalence in different countries.
Tekstas: Tatjana Zasypkina