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BDSM Proclivity Among College Students.
Caroline C Boyd-Rogers1, Teresa A Treat2, William R Corbin3
1Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, G60 Psychological and Brain Sciences Bldg., 340 Iowa Avenue, Iowa City, IA, 52242, USA. caroline-boyd-rogers@uiowa.edu.
Archives of Sexual Behavior
|July 5, 2022
Summary
This study introduces the BDSM Proclivity Scale for college students, finding that BDSM attitudes and experiences are common and linked to sexual behaviors and attitudes. The scale helps characterize BDSM proclivity in this demographic.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sexuality Studies
- Sociology
Background:
- Bondage/discipline, dominance/submission, and sadism/masochism (BDSM) proclivity in college students is understudied.
- Existing measures may not adequately capture BDSM proclivity, especially for those unfamiliar with BDSM terminology.
Purpose of the Study:
- Introduce and validate the BDSM Proclivity Scale for college students.
- Examine the relationship between BDSM proclivity and other sexual attitudes and behaviors.
Main Methods:
- Administered the BDSM Proclivity Scale and other measures to 552 college students.
- Assessed sociosexual attitudes/behaviors, rape-supportive attitudes, sexual partners, and consent-seeking.
- Utilized structural models to analyze correlations.
Main Results:
- Identified and cross-validated two factors for BDSM attitudes and experiences.
- BDSM attitudes averaged 5.61 and experiences 4.44 on a 7-point Likert scale.
- Found positive correlations between BDSM proclivity and lifetime sexual contact, gender, sociosexual attitudes, and rape-supportive attitudes. Consent-seeking was unrelated.
Conclusions:
- BDSM proclivity, encompassing both attitudes and experiences, is present in college students.
- The BDSM Proclivity Scale demonstrates construct validity.
- Further research is needed on the development, correlates, and knowledge sources of BDSM proclivity in students.
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