BDSM Healthier???

[Rakhel]

Practitioners of bondage, discipline, sadism and masochism (BDSM) feel more secure in their relationships, have a higher sense of well-being and are less neurotic than people who prefer tamer sex, according to a new study in the Journal of Sexual Medicine.
Whips, chains and full of life: BDSM practitioners 'healthier and less neurotic' than 'vanilla' peers - NYPOST.com

Sounds good, doesn't it? I, myself. was thinking, "Yeah. I do feel more secure in my current relationship, where lite BDSM is practiced, as opposed to previous ones where it was a more, 'Wham, Bam, THank you ma'am.' "

But then I read further and was left wondering how accurate this study was.

Wismeijer conducted his research by subjecting 902 BDSM practitioners and 434 non-BDSM participants to questionnaires that examined personality, sensitivity to rejection, style of attachment in relationships and overall well-being.

It does appear to me that the author of the study want the results to weigh more in the direction he wanted it to by having a, more or less, 2:1 ratio.

Maybe I'm missing something in this, but the scale does not seem even.
What do you think?

 

[Penumbra]

Sounds good, doesn't it? I, myself. was thinking, "Yeah. I do feel more secure in my current relationship, where lite BDSM is practiced, as opposed to previous ones where it was a more, 'Wham, Bam, THank you ma'am.' "

But then I read further and was left wondering how accurate this study was.

It does appear to me that the author of the study want the results to weigh more in the direction he wanted it to by having a, more or less, 2:1 ratio.

Maybe I'm missing something in this, but the scale does not seem even.
What do you think?

This occurs in a lot of studies. You don't need identical sample sizes for an accurate study.

While there could potentially be other flaws in the study, from the article itself it doesn't appear that the sample size is one of them. As long as both sample sizes are large enough, it really doesn't matter at all if one sample is larger than the other. They'd be going on percentages for their conclusions.

 

[BSM1]

He probably had a problem understanding some of the responses of the 902 BDSM practitioners what with the ball gags and full face masks and such.

 

[1137]

Theoretically I can see why it would be healthy for relationships.

 

[MysticSang'ha]

This strokes my ego WAY too much. :beach:

 

[Rakhel]

This strokes my ego WAY too much. :beach:

That's exactly what I was think. your ego get stroked too much.

 

[Me Myself]

I imagine it may have something to do with being more clear with their boundaries less judgamental more open to communication and trying new things?

Completely making it up right now, but it could be, right?

 

[Penumbra]

I don't know if it's healthier than average or not, but it's probably more fun than average.

 

[1137]

I can see why it would make sense. Bondage is one hell of a trust exercise.

 

[NocLue]

Theoretically I can see why it would be healthy for relationships.

why do you think it would be healthy?

 

[Titanic]

I can see it as way more fun.

 

[1137]

why do you think it would be healthy?

Trust, more open boundaries, higher self esteem, freedom of sexual expression, etc.

 

[InformedIgnorance]

Having a larger sample size of the BDSM community simply helps to ensure that his statistics about the BDSM community are more accurate; provided that his sample from the non BDSM community was representative of the community that they are in, it is statistically sound.

Indeed according to Sample Size Calculator - Confidence Level, Confidence Interval, Sample Size, Population Size, Relevant Population - Creative Research Systems provided his results (which we have not seen a decent presentation of) were an examination of the population of america (~316,031,000 according to wiki) had a confidence level of 95% and an interval (+/- range) of about 5, his sample size for the general population was actually greater than it needed to be (434 where he needed only 384); now of course it is entirely possible he gathered said 434 from outside of relationship counselors offices or something, but assuming that he has not done such a thing, the sample should be representative.