Common, nonsexual masochistic preferences are positively associated with antisocial personality traits.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Based on prior research linking masochism and antisocial behavior to sensation seeking, we hypothesized that masochistic and antisocial preferences are positively correlated. Besides sensation seeking, we tested whether disgust sensitivity (due to its inhibitory function) and shared social values (e.g., stimulation) accounted for the masochistic-antisocial link. We additionally examined the link in relation to broad personality factors.

Method

Six online and laboratory studies (N = 2,999) with US-American and European samples.

Results

We consistently found positive correlations between masochistic enjoyment (e.g., enjoying the burn of spicy food, disgusting jokes, pounding heart, painful massage) and antisocial traits such as subclinical psychopathy, everyda

SUBMITTER: Sagioglou C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7384047 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature