#SexualDiversity

New psychological research challenges stereotypes about BDSM. The study finds that adults who practice BDSM show more secure attachment and lower neuroticism than the general population. The findings come from a large sample using established personality and attachment measures. Data indicate BDSM participants report greater trust in relationships and higher emotional stability, consistent across genders and age groups.

Researchers used standard inventories to compare BDSM practitioners with non-practitioners. The results showed higher rates of secure attachment, reflecting comfort with emotional closeness and dependable bonds. They also showed notably lower neuroticism, implying resilience and steadier emotional responses. These patterns held true regardless of how often individuals engage in BDSM or their level of involvement.

A new wave of psychological research defies stereotypes, revealing that people who practice BDSM—an umbrella term for bondage, discipline, dominance, submission, sadism, and masochism—actually demonstrate more secure attachment styles and lower levels of neuroticism than the general population, according to a recent study reported by PsyPost. The findings challenge widespread misconceptions about BDSM participants and suggest their emotional and psychological well-being may, in certain respects, surpass that of non-practitioners.

For years, BDSM practices have often been misunderstood or pathologized, both in the media and popular culture. This new research draws from robust psychological models to examine fundamental aspects of personality, specifically focusing on attachment theory—a framework that explores how people form secure or insecure emotional bonds—and neuroticism, a personality trait associated with emotional instability, anxiety, and negative emotions. By investigating these factors in BDSM practitioners, the study seeks to clarify whether engaging in these consensual activities is linked with psychological health or distress.