Walden University ScholarWorks Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection 2019 The mpI act of Childhood Trauma and Personality on Kinkiness in Adulthood Kaitlyn Hillier Walden University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations Part of the Quantitative Psychology Commons, and the Social Psychology Commons This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies Collection at ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Walden University College of Social and Behavioral Sciences This is to certify that the doctoral dissertation by Kaitlyn Hillier has been found to be complete and satisfactory in all respects, and that any and all revisions required by the review committee have been made. Review Committee Dr. Sandra Rasmussen, Committee Chairperson, Psychology Faculty Dr. Anthony Napoli, Committee Member, Psychology Faculty Dr. Charles Diebold, University Reviewer, Psychology Faculty Chief Academic Officer Eric Riedel, Ph.D. Walden University 2019 Abstract The Impact of Childhood Trauma and Personality on Kinkiness in Adulthood By Kaitlyn Hillier MC, Athabasca University, 2016 BA, Athabasca University, 2010 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Psychology Walden University April 2019 Abstract Historically, kinky sexualities and sexual behaviors have been understood as pathological or perverse. Such misunderstandings and misrepresentations have contributed to the development and perpetuation of kink stigma. The aim of this retrospective, cross- sectional, correlational research study was to explore the potential relationship(s) between pathology, personality, and kinky sexual behaviors/roles in adulthood. Guided by queer-feminist theory, the research questions addressed whether personality traits, experiences of childhood trauma, or a combination thereof, were predictors for kinky behaviors/roles in adulthood. A multi measure, anonymous, and confidential survey was distributed online including the Childhood Traumatic Events Scale as a childhood trauma questionnaire, the Mini-IPIP, and the sadomasochism checklist. Multiple regression analyses were used, and the results showed that experiences of childhood trauma, personality characteristics, or the combination of both were not significant predictors for kinky sexual behaviors in adulthood. Among the sample surveyed, there were no significant relationships found between the variables to provide sufficient evidence to support the negative perceptions and stigmatization of the kinky population. These findings contribute to social change by better informing deficiencies in the historical pathology-based and personality-based academic literature on kinky sexualities. Additionally, the findings of the present study provide others with an increased awareness and understanding of the kink community and lifestyles which benefits evolving society and psychological professionals, scholars, and the kink community. The Impact of Childhood Trauma and Personality on Kinkiness in Adulthood by Kaitlyn Hillier MC, Athabasca University, 2016 BA, Athabasca University, 2010 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Psychology Walden University April 2019 Dedication This dissertation is dedicated to the people who defy norms; the non conformists, those who challenge stigma or, walk to the beat of their own drum. To all those who never quite ‘fit in’ with the status quo, this dissertation is for you. Acknowledgments I thank the non conformists in my own life for encouraging me to conduct my research and become a voice for the outlier groups in the world. I would like to give tremendous thanks to my amazingly supportive team, Dr. Rasmussen, Dr. Napoli, my husband JK, my mother TH, and my mentor PJ. Table of Contents List of Tables and Figures…………………………………………………………..……..v Chapter 1: Introduction to the Study ....................................................................................1 Preface............................................................................................................................1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................2 Background ....................................................................................................................6 Problem Statement .........................................................................................................9 Purpose Statement ........................................................................................................10 Research Questions ......................................................................................................10 Theoretical Framework ................................................................................................12 Nature of the Study ......................................................................................................13 Definitions of Theoretical Constructs ..........................................................................14 Definition of Terms......................................................................................................16 Significance..................................................................................................................18 Assumptions and Limitations ......................................................................................20 Scope and Delimitations ..............................................................................................22 Summary ......................................................................................................................23 Chapter 2: Literature Review .............................................................................................25 Introduction ..................................................................................................................25 Literature Search Strategy............................................................................................26 Theoretical Foundation ................................................................................................27 Key Variables and Concepts ........................................................................................31 i Background: Sexuality .......................................................................................... 31 Background: Kink and BDSM .............................................................................. 33 Background: Kink Stigma..................................................................................... 36 Literature Review Relevant to Research Questions.....................................................42 Kink and Trauma .................................................................................................. 42 Kink and Individual or Personality Characteristics .............................................. 50 Kink and Sexual/Gender Identity.......................................................................... 55 Kink and Health .................................................................................................... 64 Summary and Conclusions ..........................................................................................76 Themes .................................................................................................................. 76 What is Known and Unknown about Kink ........................................................... 77 Summary ......................................................................................................................79 Chapter 3: Research Method ..............................................................................................81 Introduction ..................................................................................................................81 Purpose of the Study ............................................................................................. 81 Research Design and Rationale ...................................................................................82 Methodology ................................................................................................................86 Participant Population ........................................................................................... 86 Setting and Sample ............................................................................................... 86 Procedures ............................................................................................................. 87 Instrumentation ............................................................................................................90 Demographics ....................................................................................................... 90 ii SMC ................................................................................................................... 90 CTES (CTQ) ......................................................................................................... 93 Mini-IPIP .............................................................................................................