BDSM & Kink

The following studies are independent projects and papers that contribute empirical data to our body of knowledge on concepts related to BDSM and kink.

Alison, L., Santtila, P., Sandnabba, N. K., & Nordling, N. (2001). Sadomasochistically oriented behavior: Diversity in practice and meaning.  Archives of Sexual Behavior, 30(1), 1-12. Full Text

Ambler, J. K., Lee, E. M., Klement, K. R., Loewald, T., Comber, E. M., Hanson, S. A., ... & Sagarin, B. J. (2017). Consensual BDSM facilitates role-specific altered states of consciousness: A preliminary study. Psychology of Consciousness: Theory, Research, and Practice, 4(1), 75. Full text

Baumeister, R. F. (1997). The Enigmatic appeal of sexual masochism: Why people desire pain, bondage and humiliation in sex. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 16(2), 133-150.

Baumeister, R. F. (1988). Gender differences in masochistic scripts. Journal of Sex Research, 25(4), 478-499.

Bezreh, T., Weinberg, T., & Edgar, T. (2012). BDSM disclosure and stigma management: Identifying opportunities for sex education. American Journal of Sexuality Education, 7 (1), 37-61. Full Text

Cross, P. A., & Matheson, K. (2006). Understanding sadomasochism: An empirical examination of four persepctives. Journal of Homosexuality, 50(2), 133-166.

Dancer, P. L., Kleinplatz, P. J., & Moser, C. (2006). 24/7 SM slavery. Journal of Homosexuality, 50(2), 81-101.

Faccio, E., Cassini, C., & Cipolletta, S. (2014) Forbidden games: the construction of sexuality and sexual pleasure by BDSM 'players'. Culture, Health & Sexuality, 16(7):752-64.

Graham, B.C., Butler, S.E., McGraw, R., Cannes, S.M., Smith, J. (2015) Member perspectives on the role of BDSM communities. Journal of Sex Research, 19:1-15.

Gross, B. (2006). The pleasure of pain. Forensic Examiner, 15(1), 56-61.

Jozifkova, E., & Konvicka, M. (2009). Sexual arousal by higher- and lower-ranking partner: Manifestation of a mating strategy? Journal of Sexual Medicine,  6(12), 3327-3334.

Klein, M., & Moser, C. (2006). SM (Sadomasochistic) Interests as an issue in a child custody proceeding. Journal of Homosexuality, 50(2-3), 233-242.

Klement, K. R., Lee, E. M., Ambler, J. K., Hanson, S. A., Comber, E., Wietting, D., ... & Reid, E. (2017). Extreme rituals in a BDSM context: the physiological and psychological effects of the ‘Dance of Souls’. Culture, health & sexuality, 19(4), 453-469. Link to full text

Lawrence AA, & Love-Crowell J. (2008). Psychotherapists' experience with clients who engage in consensual sadomasochism: a qualitative study. Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy, 34(1):67-85.

Levitt, E. E., Moser, C., & Jamison, K. V. (1994). The prevalence and some attributes of females in the sadomasochistic subculture: A second report. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 23(4), 465-473.

Moser, Charles; Peggy J. Kleinplatz (2005). DSM-IV-TR and the paraphilias: An argument for removal. Journal of Psychology and Human Sexuality, 17(3/4), 91-109. Full Text

Moser, C. (2010). Problems with ascertainment. Archives of Sexual Behavior,  39(6), 1225-1227.

Moser, C., & Kleinplatz, P. J. (2006). Introduction: The state of our knowledge on SM. Journal of Homosexuality, 50(2-3), 1-15.

Moser, C. & Levitt, E. E. (1987). An exploratory-descriptive study of a sadomasochistically oriented sample. Journal of Sex Research 23(3), 322-337.

Nichols, M. (2008). Psychotherapeutic issues with "kinky" clients: clinical problems, yours and theirs. Journal of Homosexuality, 50(2-3):281-300.

Nordling, N., Sandnabba, N.K., Santtila, P., & Alison, L. (2006). Differences and similarities between gay and straight individuals involved in the sadomasochistic subculture. Journal of Homosexuality, 50(2-3), 41-57.

Ophelian, A. (2008, Summer). Stranger in a strange land: Navigating issues of BDSM and polyamory in graduate training. Division 44 Newsletter,  24(2), 13-14. Full Text

Powls, J., & Davies, J. (2010). A descriptive review of research relating to sadomasochism: Considerations for clinical practice. Deviant Behavior, 33(3), 223-234.

Rehor, J.E. (2015). Sensual, erotic, and sexual behaviors of women from the "kink" community. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 44(4):825-36. Full Text

Richters, J., de Visser, R.O., Rissel, C.E., Grulich, A.E., & Smith, A.M.A. (2008). Demographic and psychosocial features of participants in bondage and discipline, “sadomasochism” or dominance and submission (BDSM): Data from a national survey. Journal of Sexual Medicine, 5(7), 1660-1668. Full Text

Ridinger, R. B. (2006) Negotiating limits: The legal status of SM in the United States. Journal of Homosexuality, 50(2-3), 189-216.

Sagarin, B. J., Lee, E. M., & Klement, K. R. (2015). Sadomasochism without sex? Exploring the parallels between BDSM and extreme rituals. Journal of Positive Sexuality, 1, 32-36. Full text

Sagarin, B. J., Cutler, B., Cutler, N., Lawler-Sagarin, K. A., & Matuszewich, L. (2009). Hormonal changes and couple bonding in consensual sadomasochistic activity. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 38(2), 186-200. Link to full text

Simula, B. L. (2012). Does bisexuality ‘undo’ gender? Gender, sexuality, and bisexual behavior among BDSM participants. Journal of Bisexuality, 12(4), 484-506.

Stiles, B. L., & Clark, R. E. (2011). BDSM: A subcultural analysis of sacrifices and delights. Deviant Behavior, 32(2), 158-189. Full Text

Turley, E. L., King, N., & Butt, T. (2011). ‘It started when I barked once when I was licking his boots!’: A descriptive phenomenological study of the everyday experience of BDSM.  Psychology and Sexuality,  2(2), 123-136.

Weinberg, T. S. (2006). Sadomasochism and the social sciences: A review of the sociological and social psychological literature. Journal of Homosexuality, 50 (2-3), 17-40.

Weinberg, M. S.,Williams, C. J. & Moser, C. (1984). The social constituents of sadomasochism. Social Problems, 31(4), 379-389.

Weiss, M. D. ( 2006). Mainstreaming kink: The politics of BDSM representation in U.S. popular media. Journal of Homosexuality, 50(2-3), 103-122.

Wignall, L, McCormack, M. (2015) An exploratory study of a new kink activity: "Pup Play". Archives of Sexual Behavior, 2015 Dec 14. [Epub ahead of print]

Wilkinson, E. (2009). Perverting visual pleasure: Representing sadomasochism. Sexualities, 12 (2), 181-198. Full Text

Wismeijer AA, & Van Assen MA. (2013). Psychological characteristics of BDSM practitioners. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 10(8):1943-52.

Wright, S. (2006). Discrimination of SM-identified individuals. Journal of Homosexuality, 50 (2-3), 217-231.

Yost, M. (2010 ). Development and validation of the attitudes about sadomasochism scale.  Journal of Sex Research, 47(1), 79-91.

Yost, M. R., & Hunter, L. E. (2012). BDSM practitioners’ understandings of their initial attraction to BDSM sexuality: Essentialist and constructionist narratives.  Psychology and Sexuality, 3(3), 244-259. Full Text