Factor Analysis With Unusual Sexual Interests: A Replication Study in a Representative Population Sample

Authors Eveline Schippers, Wineke Smid, Larissa Hoogsteder, Vivienne de Vogel
Publication date 2023
Research groups Working with Mandated Clients
Type Article

Summary

A previous study found a variety of unusual sexual interests to cluster in a five-factor structure, namely submission/masochism, forbidden sexual activities, dominance / sadism, mysophilia, and fetishism (Schippers et al., 2021). The current study was an empirical replication to examine whether these findings generalized to a representative population sample. An online, anonymous sample (N = 256) representative of the Dutch adult male population rated 32 unusual sexual interests on a scale from 1 (very unappealing) to 7 (very appealing). An exploratory factor analysis assessed whether similar factors would emerge as in the original study. A subsequent confirmatory factor analysis served to confirm the factor structure. Four slightly different factors of sexual interest were found: extreme, illegal and mysophilic sexual activities; light BDSM without real pain or suffering; heavy BDSM that may include pain or suffering; and illegal but lower-sentenced and fetishistic sexual activities. The model fit was acceptable. The representative replication sample was more sexually conservative and showed less sexual engagement than the original convenience sample. On a fundamental level, sexual interest in light BDSM activities and extreme, forbidden, and mysophilic activities seem to be relatively separate constructs.

On this publication contributed

Language English
Key words sexual interests, replication, confirmatory factor analysis, submission, masochism, sexual outlet
Digital Object Identifier 10.1177/10790632231200841

Algemeen