Synonyms
Definition
A paraphilia is a preferred sexual interest (philia: love) considered to be unusual (para: outside the norms).
Introduction
Descriptions of paraphilias are highly controversial. In this entry, the concepts of paraphilia and paraphilic disorder will be presented. Correlates of paraphilias will also be described, along with a proposition for a novel definition based on evolutionary criteria.
Official Definitions of Paraphilias
According to psychiatric diagnosis manuals, certain sexual interests (fantasies, urges, and/or behaviors) are uncommon, atypical, or anomalous (e.g., APA 2013). Typical examples of atypical sexual interests include voyeurism (observing an unsuspecting person who is naked, disrobing, or engaging in sexual activity), exhibitionism (exposure of one’s genitals to an unsuspecting person), frotteurism (touching or rubbing against a non-consenting person), sexual masochism (being humiliated, beaten,...
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References
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Joyal, C., Ankfold, J. (2017). Paraphilia. In: Shackelford, T., Weekes-Shackelford, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_3387-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_3387-1
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