Fantasy/Masturbation Research Highlights Autochorissexuality and Asexuality as a Continuum!

[Pramana]

New detailed research into sexual fantasy and masturbation among self-identified asexuals is more fine-grained than previous studies, an advance resulting from use of the recently developed Asexuality Identification Scale (AIS) tool and a sensitivity to different subtypes of asexuality. Some notable findings:

Autochorissexuality Significantly more Common among Asexuals Compared to a Sexual Control Group
"Fourteen percent of asexual women and 12% of asexual men in the current sample reported having sexual fantasies that did not involve other people, compared to less than one percent of sexual women, and none of the sexual men in the sample. This replicates previous research that found that 11 % of asexual individuals (both women and men) had sexual fantasies that did not involve other people (Yule et al., 2014b)... The largest distinguishing feature between fantasies of asexual individuals compared to sexual individuals was the former’s increased likelihood of having sexual fantasies that did not involve them. This provides evidence for Bogaert’s (2012b) identification of a phenomenon he coined‘‘autochorissexuality,’’or identity-less sexuality, defined as ‘‘a disconnect between an individual’s sense of self and a sexual object or target’’(Bogaert, 2012b, p. 1513). Autochorissexual individuals view themselves as being separate from the sexual acts they are viewing or fantasizing about, thereby allowing for detachment between their sense of self and masturbation and sexual fantasies. In support of Bogaert’s (2012b) speculation that some asexual individuals may be characterized as autochorissexual, we interpret the present data as asexual individuals using explicit stimuli as a vehicle to facilitate their sexual arousal and subsequent orgasm (Yule et al., 2014b). Put another way, despite having sexual fantasies that involve other people or things, these individuals do not experience subjective sexual attraction, where the ‘‘subjective’’aspect refers to the sense of ‘‘me’’or‘‘I’’of their identity. This raises the possibility that subjective sexual attraction might represent another dimension of sexual orientation, with (some) asexual individuals being at the non-subjective polar end of a subjective/non-subjective orientation dimension."

 

AIS Scores Suggest that Asexuality Exists on a Continuum with Different Subtypes

"Interestingly, those asexual individuals in the current study who reported having never engaged in a sexual fantasy scored higher (i.e., had more ‘‘asexual’’ features) on the AIS than did asexual individuals who have had sexual fantasies, providing some evidence for previous speculations (Bogaert, 2012a) that asexuality exists on a continuum, with a lack of behaviors such as engaging in sexual fantasy and/or masturbation occurring more frequently among a subgroup of asexual individuals... Our finding that asexual individuals who did and did not engage in sexual fantasy or masturbation differed in terms of AIS scores suggests that there may be different subtypes of asexuality, and that the AIS might be a useful tool to aide in these investigations."
 

Self-Identification as Asexual Represents Too Broad a Category to Operationalize for Psychological Research
"Finally, the current findings further suggest that it is important to be aware of the difference between self-identified asexuality and a more stringent definition of asexuality that includes a lack of sexual attraction to anything at all, when we are using these definitions for research purposes. While self-identification as asexual might provide asexual individuals with a community and way to describe their experience in the context of navigating an arguably sexualized society, we must be very careful when utilizing these definitions and self-identities for quantitative empirical research investigating the source of the corresponding lack of sexual attraction. Self-identification as asexual is a legitimate, and arguably very important, aspect of asexuality. However, in the context of sexuality (and sexual orientation) research, it must be acknowledged that the umbrella term ‘‘asexual’’ might not accurately describe the entirety of all self-identified asexual individual’s experience. Further investigations of the topic should be careful to clearly define what is meant by terms such as ‘‘asexual,’’ and be thorough in the questions that are posed to identify participants as such for research purposes. Of course, it is a different, and very important, question entirely to conduct research on self-identified asexual individuals and the communities that develop around this self-identification. We must be clear in the distinction and in defining our terms."
 

Morag A. Yule, Lori A. Brotto, and Boris B. Gorzalka. “Sexual Fantasy and Masturbation among Asexual Individuals.” The Canadian Journal of Human Sexuality 23, no. 2 (2014): 89-95.
http://med-fom-brotto.sites.olt.ubc.ca/files/2014/12/Yule-Brotto-Gorzalka-2014-Sexual-fantasy-masturbation-among-asexuals-3575-1.pdf

Morag A. Yule, Lori A. Brotto, and Boris B. Gorzalka. “Sexual Fantasy and Masturbation among Asexual Individuals: An In-Depth Exploration.” Archives of Sexual Behavior 46, no. 1 (2017): 311-328.
http://med-fom-brotto.sites.olt.ubc.ca/files/2014/11/Yule-Gorzalka-Brotto-2017-Sexual-fantasy-masturbation-among-asexual-individuals-An-in-depth-exploration-4754.pdf

[Yeast]

13 minutes ago, Pramana said:

Autochorissexual individuals view themselves as being separate from the sexual acts they are viewing or fantasizing about,

Another label for me - or is it something to add to my ingredients list?

[TessaMe]

Interesting. Thanks for posting this.  I've seen different tidbits bounced around in debates over whether or not autochrissexuality was indeed more common in asexuals, so I'm glad to see some research on it. It's too bad it's such a small sample group though (534 asexuals and 187 sexuals), but it's a start.

[Tunhope]

Yes. Interesting research. I would be somewhat worried ,though , about the idea that the definition of asexual might eventually belong to researchers rather than those who self identify. I can envisage people who felt they were ace (and taking comfort from the thought) wondering "Well what am I then?"

 

 

[gaogao]

On 3/28/2018 at 3:36 AM, Pramana said:

Self-Identification as Asexual Represents Too Broad a Category to Operationalize for Psychological Research

 

On 3/28/2018 at 3:36 AM, Pramana said:

Further investigations of the topic should be careful to clearly define what is meant by terms such as ‘‘asexual,’’ and be thorough in the questions that are posed to identify participants as such for research purposes.

omg.... can we take this as acknowledgment from the academic community that the current popular definitions of "asexuality" are too broad and need to be further defined for research purposes.......!?

[Pramana]

14 hours ago, gaogao said:

omg.... can we take this as acknowledgment from the academic community that the current popular definitions of "asexuality" are too broad and need to be further defined for research purposes.......!?

The current research trend is towards focusing on subtypes of asexuality, with the idea that different subtypes might have very different causes. That is important for psychological research, following a methodology that seeks to distinguish internal causes. Thus, psychologists will likely have to get more precise when defining terms, as opposed to say a sociologist who is studying asexuality as an identity and a community.