Ownership of super-realistic sex dolls has become an increasingly controversial social issue over the past five to ten years. Many people in society have a feeling of disgust towards these dolls, which, for the most part, resemble sexualized versions of the female form. Lawmakers have called for a ban on some types of dolls (such as those resembling children), while others equate sex with a doll with the sexual assault of living women.
At the heart of these calls is the implicit assumption that ownership of sex dolls contributes to increased negative social attitudes towards women and the risk of sexual abuse among doll owners. However, there is not yet any empirical examination of these claims. At least, not so far.
According to new research published in The Journal of Sex Research, you may be surprised at how ordinary men actually own sex dolls.
The research team spent months surveying 158 men who owned sex dolls and compared them to 135 men who did not. The groups were compared in a range of measures, including personality traits, emotional functioning, bonding styles, and tendencies for sexual aggression. The aim was to conduct a direct examination of the accuracy of social beliefs and perceptions regarding the ownership of sex dolls.
The results were interesting. In general, there were very few differences between doll owners and those who did not have a doll. Contrary to stereotypes and social beliefs about doll ownership, those who owned a doll scored fewer “points” on their propensity for sexual aggression. This means that, on average, they were less likely to express the sexual arousal or pleasure predicted when reading hypothetical sex crime scenarios.
Megjithatë, pronarët e kukullave kishin më shumë gjasa t'i shihnin gratë si të panjohura, botën si të rrezikshme dhe të kishin vetëbesim më të ulët seksual. Ata gjithashtu kishin stile personaliteti më obsesive dhe emocionalisht të qëndrueshme.
Një marrëdhënie e ngjashme ndërvepruese mund të jetë në lojë në lidhje me besimet se gratë janë të panjohura dhe se bota është e rrezikshme, veçanërisht në kontekstin e historive të marrëdhënieve me cilësi të dobët. Kjo do të thotë, se është e besueshme që një histori romantike e mbyllur keq - i bën pronarët e kukullave të kenë mungesë të të kuptuarit të psikologjisë femërore, duke çuar në besimin se gratë janë thelbësisht të panjohura dhe ndoshta kërcënuese.
In general, our data suggest the fact that men who own sex dolls are not significantly different from others.
However, research of this kind questions social wisdom about atypical sexual practices and the effects of items such as sex dolls on owners's attitudes and behaviors. It remains possible that puppets may play an important role in the context of treating mental health and sexual dysfunction, as well as in the work done to prevent sexual abuse. This is an exciting research field that will surely develop further in the coming months and years.
Source: Psychology Today
