Men who send unsolicited d*** pics may be NARCISSISTS and usually expect ‘something in return’ 

Men who send unsolicited ‘d*** pics’ may be NARCISSISTS and usually expect to receive ‘something in return’

  • They may also exhibit more ambivalent and hostile sexism, the study found
  • Psychologists had asked 1,087 men if they shared images of their genitals
  • Those who had believed that the photos would sexually excite the recipients
  • The majority of men surveyed did not think sharing genital images causes harm

Men who send other people unsolicited images of their genitals are likely to be more narcissistic and sexist that those who do not, psychologists have found.

Researchers surveyed over a thousand men to compare the personalities and motivations of those who sent intimate images and those who did not. 

Rather than for personal gratification, men who share images of their genitals typically do so hoping to arouse the recipient and get images back in return.

A small minority of participants reported sending the private photos in order to intentionally elicit a negative response from women.

The researchers conclude that the practice can neither be construed as solely sexist or as a positive sexual outlet. 

 

Men who send other people unsolicited images of their genitals are likely to be more narcissistic and sexist that those who do not, psychologists have found

Psychologist Flora Oswald of the Pennsylvania State University and colleagues surveyed 1,087 men about whether they had ever sent photographs of their genitals — and, if so, why they did so and what reaction they expected to receive.

Researchers also asked questions to explore the participants’ personality traits — including their levels of exhibitionism, narcissism, sexism and openness to sex and sexuality.

The team found an association between certain character traits and the sending of genital images.

‘We determined that men who reported having sent unsolicited d*** pics demonstrated higher levels of narcissism and endorsed greater ambivalent and hostile sexism than their non-sending counterparts,’ the researchers wrote. 

Researchers also found that men have a number of rationales for sending such photographs.

‘We determined that the most frequently reported motivational category for sending genital images was a transactional mindset — i.e., motivated by hopes of receiving images in return,’ they wrote.

The psychologists found that those who sent genital images for their own sexual or personal satisfaction were in the minority.

‘The most commonly desired reaction from recipients was that of sexual excitement,’ they wrote. 

A small minority of participants, however, reported sending the intimate images in order to elicit negative reactions from women. 

The psychologists found that those who sent genital images for their own sexual or personal satisfaction were in the minority

The psychologists found that those who sent genital images for their own sexual or personal satisfaction were in the minority

‘These results provide evidence to suggest that while unsolicited dick pic sending is motivated by sexist and misogynistic ideologies in some men, the majority do not intend to cause harm or negative psychological outcomes,’ the researchers said.

‘Thus, the unsolicited dick pic phenomenon cannot be viewed solely as a sexist campaign, nor as a positive outlet for sexuality.’

‘Instead, cases must be considered on an individual basis.’

'The most commonly desired reaction from recipients was that of sexual excitement,' the researchers wrote. A small minority of participants, however, reported sending the intimate images in order to elicit negative reactions from women

‘The most commonly desired reaction from recipients was that of sexual excitement,’ the researchers wrote. A small minority of participants, however, reported sending the intimate images in order to elicit negative reactions from women

With their initial study complete, Ms Oswald and colleagues are looking to dig into this cultural phenomenon further.

‘The d*** pic lies at the intersection of the zeitgeists surrounding consent, gender, sexuality, and technology,’ the researchers concluded.

‘Further research on the subject could provide insights into myriad contemporary topics such as online sexual harassment, online dating culture, and gender relations.’

The full findings of the study were published in The Journal of Sex Research. 

HOW DID ONLINE DATING BECOME SO POPULAR?

The first ever incarnation of a dating app can be traced back to 1995 when Match.com was first launched.

The website allowed single people to upload a profile, a picture and chat to people online.

The app was intended to allow people looking for long-term relationships to meet.

eHarmony was developed in 2000 and two years later Ashley Madison, a site dedicated to infidelity and cheating, was first launched.

A plethora of other dating sites with a unique target demographic were set up in the next 10-15 years including: OKCupid (2004), Plenty of Fish (2006), Grindr (2009) and Happn (2013).

In 2012, Tinder was launched and was the first ‘swipe’ based dating platform. 

After its initial launch it’s usage snowballed and by March 2014 there were one billion matches a day, worldwide.

In 2014, co-founder of Tinder, Whitney Wolfe Herd launched Bumble, a dating app that empowered women by only allowing females to send the first message.

The popularity of mobile dating apps such as Tinder, Badoo and more recently Bumble is attributable to a growing amount of younger users with a busy schedule.

In the 1990s, there was a stigma attached to online dating as it was considered a last-ditch and desperate attempt to find love.

This belief has dissipated and now around one third of marriages are between couples who met online.

A survey from 2014 found that 84 per cent of dating app users were using online dating services to look for a romantic relationship.

Twenty-four per cent stated that that they used online dating apps explicitly for sexual encounters.

 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk