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Assessing the Influence of Personality on Sensitivity to Magnetic Fields in Zebrafish

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Published on: March 18, 2019

Body piercing, personality, and sexual behavior.

Keren Skegg¹, Shyamala Nada-Raja, Charlotte Paul

¹Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago Medical School, Dunedin, New Zealand. keren.skegg@stonebow.otago.ac.nz

Archives of Sexual Behavior

|December 1, 2006

Summary

Body piercing in women is linked to personality traits and increased sexual partners. This study supports the idea that body art reflects self-expression and social behavior in young adults.

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Assessing the Influence of Personality on Sensitivity to Magnetic Fields in Zebrafish

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Assessment of Social Interaction Behaviors

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Published on: February 25, 2011

Area of Science:

Sociology
Psychology
Public Health

Background:

Body piercing is a prevalent practice among young adults.
Theorists suggest body piercing serves as a form of self-expression.
Previous research has explored links between body modification and social factors, but associations with sexual behavior require further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the associations between body piercing and social characteristics, personality traits, and sexual behavior in a population-based sample of young adults.
To examine the theory that body piercing has meaning as a corporeal expression of the self.

Main Methods:

A population-based sample of 966 young adults (aged 26) from the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study participated.
Data on body piercing and sexual behavior were collected via interview and computer-based questionnaires, respectively.
Personality traits were assessed at ages 18 or 21.

Main Results:

29% of women and 9% of men had piercings beyond earlobes.
Pierced women, compared to non-pierced women, exhibited traits of low constraint or high negative emotionality.
Pierced women were significantly more likely to report multiple heterosexual partners or any same-sex partner; associations in men were not significant.

Conclusions:

Body piercing in women is associated with specific personality traits and sexual behaviors, supporting the theory of body piercing as a corporeal expression of self.
The findings suggest a richer understanding of body piercing as a phenomenon within the general population.
Having multiple heterosexual partners or any same-sex partner was rare among women without piercings.