bims-chumac 2023-03-12 papers

Issue of 2023–03–12
two papers selected by
Thomas Krichel, Open Library Society

Clin Dermatol. 2023 Mar 04. pii: S0738-081X(23)00025-1. [Epub ahead of print]

Beauty Perception: A Historic and Contemporary Review.

Dimitre Dimitrov, Mayra B C Maymone, George Kroumpouzos.

The power of beauty influences many aspects of modern society and daily life-perceptions surrounding beauty date to ancient philosophers and have evolved significantly throughout history. Still, there appear to be universally accepted physical characteristics of beauty that span different cultures. Human beings have an inherent ability to distinguish between attractive and non-attractive based on physical features that include facial averageness, symmetry, skin homogeneity, and sexual dimorphism (sex-typical characteristics). Although beauty standards have changed over time, youthful appearance has remained a permanent influential component of facial attractiveness. Each person's perception of beauty is influenced by environment and perceptual adaptation, an experience-based process. Perception of beauty varies by race and ethnicity. We discuss typical features of Caucasian, Asian, Black, and Latino beauty. We also review the effects of globalization on spreading foreign beauty culture and discuss how social media change traditional beauty stereotypes within the different races and ethnicities.

Keywords: attractiveness; beauty; cultural; evolution; global; perception; social media

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clindermatol.2023.02.006

Int J Impot Res. 2023 Mar 06.

What do women with sexual interest in children tell us about the assumed cause of their sexual interest in children, (non-)disclosure, and professional help?-Results of a qualitative content analysis.

Safiye Tozdan, Greta Hübener, Peer Briken, Johanna Schröder.

Research on women with sexual interest in children is still rare, especially regarding women's own theories about the cause of their sexual interest in children, their experiences with (non-)disclosure, and professional help. In the context of a broader online study, we provided 50 women with a sexual interest in children under the age of 14 years (mean age: 33.6, SD = 11.1) with open questions regarding their own theories about what causes their sexual interest in children, experiences with disclosure and non-disclosure, and experiences with and opinions about professional help. Analyses were conducted using an inductive qualitative content analysis method that aimed at ordering and structuring manifest and latent content by categorizing qualitative data. Results revealed that participants mainly think that past experiences caused their sexual interest in children (Σ = 16), e.g., abusive or non-abusive sexual experiences during childhood. Some participants think that their sexual interest in children is a disposition they were born with (Σ = 8). Disclose of sexual interest in children to another person was reported by 56.0% of the present sample and led to rather positive consequences (Σ = 24, e.g., acceptance or support). Those who did not disclose (44.0%) mainly did so due to fear of rejection and/or stigmatization (Σ = 24). A total of 30.0% already sought help due to their sexual interest in children and frequently reported negative experiences (Σ = 15). A frequent statement participants made on how to reach women with sexual interest in children in order to offer professional help was the destigmatization of sexual interest in children (Σ = 14). We recommend that women with sexual interest in children should be taken more seriously among research and in prevention measures.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41443-023-00677-6