Psychology Commons^™

Shame, Pride, And Disclosure: Exploring Paths To Distress In Individuals With Paraphilic Fantasies, Wilson Alexander Captein

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Despite the newfound prevalence of paraphilias, few studies have directly examined paraphilic populations. Fewer still have examined the experience of distress and dysfunction in these populations, which is surprising given the importance of these outcomes in distinguishing between a paraphilia and paraphilic disorder. While prior studies have examined distress/dysfunction in paraphilic populations via the constructs of sexual compulsivity and sexual distress, the current study sought to evaluate possible mechanisms that might mediate the relationship between paraphilic interests and these outcomes. Specifically, the current study proposed and tested an adapted Minority Stress model framework examining disclosure, sexual shame, and sexual pride …