A team of experts from the Michigan State University identified a clear connection between personality and the erotic imaginary world. The study, which appears in the scientific journal PLOS Oneassociates specific mental patterns with the frequency and variety of the sexual desires.
The research included a large sample of 5,225 adultswhose average age is 58 years. Authors Emily Cannoot, Amy C. Moors, and William J. Chopik explored how the traits of the model known as the «Big Five» –extraversion, kindness, responsibility, negative emotionality and open-mindedness– influence people’s psyche.
According to the results, People with high levels of conscientiousness and agreeableness report fewer sexual fantasies. This finding covers various dimensions, from intimate encounters to sadomasochistic or exploratory scenarios.
According to the study, this effect arises mainly from specific facets such as I respect and the sense of duty.
«Our results highlight the importance of personality dimensions to understand sexual thoughts,» the researchers point out in the conclusions of their work. The team affirms that this heterogeneity in experiences allows for more inclusive approaches to psychological well-being and clinical practice.
The study details that negative emotionality, which is usually linked to neuroticism, shows a direct link with a greater frequency of fantasies. In particular, the facet of depression stands out as the most consistent predictor of constant erotic imaginative activity in all the categories evaluated.
The analysis of facets, or secondary traits, allowed scholars a deeper insight into human behavior. The experts determined that the respect for the rules and the sense of responsibility They act as inhibitors of the production of fantasies.
On the contrary, factors such as organization o to personal productivity They have no relation to what happens on the plane of desire.
Personality traits and their impact on erotic fantasies
The fantasies were divided into four large groups for study: exploratory, intimate, impersonal y sadomasochists. Interestingly, open-mindedness showed a minimal relationship with the frequency of these thoughts, a fact that contradicts some previous notions about creative curiosity and sexual daydreaming.
The researchers maintain that sexual desire is a source of well-being that the scientific field frequently ignores. Erotic mental activity is often linked to health-promoting behaviors in couples, such as the verbal expression of affection and various positive relational outcomes.
The report also clarifies that having aggressive fantasies It does not necessarily imply an antisocial personality. The authors indirectly mention that people without aggressive tendencies could have fantasies of this type, while introverted individuals could experience voyeuristic desires, without this reflecting psychopathology.
Despite the scope of the sample, the scientists recognize limitations in their work. The data comes from personal reports, which may present shame biases or the stigma that still surrounds these issues in society. Furthermore, the sample is made up mostly of white people and people in long-term stable relationships.
The conclusion of the report highlights that Personality significantly helps predict variations in desire. This advancement allows clinicians and educators to have informed and positive conversations about sex, based on the reality that diversity in sexual thinking is a norm and not an exception.
