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If you thought we’d heard enough, you’re making a grave mistake. A new study validates that attraction to established couples is a real phenomenon.
PsyPost reports that recent research published in the Archives of Sexual Behavior has identified a new phenomenon called symbiosexuality. Individuals find themselves attracted to the dynamics within existing relationships in symbiosexuality.
These findings offer a new perspective on human desire, suggesting that attraction can be more complex than we previously understood. The concept emerged from observations in cultural and academic discourses that some people are drawn to the relationships between others rather than individuals themselves. Despite this, the phenomenon remained unexplained, with most discussions on human attraction focusing on one-to-one dynamics.
Study author Sally W. Johnson, an adjunct professor of anthropology and sociology at Seattle University, said, “As part of the polyamorous community, I have heard people talk about experiencing attraction to established couples. In a review of the literature, I was surprised to find that this phenomenon has been largely ignored in social and academic discourse. Paradoxically, in a previous study, I also found that sexual and romantic relationships between single people and couples (potentially motivated by symbiosexual attraction) receive a lot of negative attention in polyamorous communities. I wanted to learn more about this understudied attraction.”
The Pleasure Study, a more extensive project designed to investigate various aspects of gender identity and sexual pleasure, was the primary data source for her new project. The survey conducted in The Pleasure Study consisted of 65 questions covering a wide range of topics.
