American scientists from the University of Texas have conducted the first study on the psychology of incels – people (usually men) who practice forced celibacy because they cannot find a partner for sex. Report published In the scientific journal The Journal of Sex Research.
“People are so anxious about attracting partners that billion-dollar industries in the form of dating apps are being built around it. We write poetry and fight over it. So it’s somewhat paradoxical that there’s a growing community of men who identify strongly with their perceived inability to solve adaptive problems.” looks — I’m talking about incels,” said study author William Costello.
The research team recruited 409 volunteers from among single men; 151 of them described themselves as exclusive and the rest were definitely not in a relationship.
Participants filled out a checklist of the reasons for their loneliness and indicated the reasons that, in their opinion, prevented them from finding a partner. Nine of these are related to external reasons (for example, online dating) and 28 are related to internal reasons (fear of rejection and others). Subjects also answered questions about the attractiveness of a potential partner and indicated their minimum standards of a person with whom they would like to have an intimate relationship.
According to the scientists, the results showed that the main problem of most incels is their extremely poor mental health, represented by cognitive distortions, a victim complex, and a disproportionately high prevalence of autism spectrum disorders (ASD).
Psychologists emphasized that on a global scale, ASD is seen in 0.62% of the world’s population, while this figure reaches 30% in Incels.
William Costello emphasized that incels underestimate the importance of qualities such as intelligence, kindness and humor, and overestimate physical attractiveness and financial abilities. This leads to a fundamental misunderstanding of women’s sexual preferences, feelings of resentment and, as a result, misogyny.
Scientists hope that their research will create methods of psychological assistance to people suffering from the inability to find a partner for intimate relationships. Psychologists will also need to further investigate the link between autism and forced abstinence.
Previous scientists to create The relationship between loss of interest in sex and premature death in men.