Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item:
http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/19904
Title: | Objectum sexuality: A sexual orientation linked with autism and synaesthesia |
Authors: | Simner, J Hughes, JEA Sagiv, N |
Issue Date: | 27-Dec-2019 |
Publisher: | Springer Science and Business Media LLC |
Citation: | Scientific Reports, 2019, 9 (1) |
Abstract: | Objectum-sexuality (OS) is a sexual orientation which has received little attention in the academic literature. Individuals who identify as OS experience emotional, romantic and/or sexual feelings towards inanimate objects (e.g. a bridge, a statue). We tested 34 OS individuals and 88 controls, and provide the first empirical evidence that OS is linked to two separate neurodevelopmental traits - autism and synaesthesia. We show that OS individuals possess significantly higher rates of diagnosed autism and significantly stronger autistic traits compared to controls, as well as a significantly higher prevalence of synaesthesia, and significant synaesthetic traits inherent in the nature of their attractions. Our results suggest that OS may encapsulate autism and synaesthesia within its phenomenology. Our data speak to debates concerning the biological underpinnings of sexuality, to models of autism and synaesthesia, and to psychological and philosophical models of romantic love. |
URI: | http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/19904 |
DOI: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-56449-0 |
ISSN: | 19874 http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-019-56449-0 2045-2322 |
Other Identifiers: | 19874 19874 |
Appears in Collections: | Dept of Life Sciences Research Papers |
Files in This Item:
File | Description | Size | Format | |
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FullText.pdf | 1.27 MB | Adobe PDF | View/Open |
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