The Westermarck effect, or reverse sexual imprinting, is a hypothetical psychological effect through which people who live in close domestic proximity during the first few years of their lives become desensitized to sexual attraction.
Kin recognition, also called kin detection, refers to an organism's potential ability to distinguish between close genetic kin and non-kin. In evolutionary biology and in psychology, such capabilities are presumed to have evolved to serve the adaptive function of inbreeding avoidance.
Shint0 wrote: » I believe that type of genetic attraction is more common compared to relatives who actually knew each other growing up from birth, where cousins, for example, who might have met for the first time as teenagers or adults are attracted to each other. Seems to be based on the recognition of shared similarities. Never heard of it with a parent and child before so that's a new one.
Birneybau wrote: » It's an actual scientific term, not snowflake bullsh!t.
unfortunately wrote: » Two consenting adults can do what they want.
sammyjo90 wrote: » Clearly not because they are facing incest charges.
Smondie wrote: » It used to be called incest in my day. The fancy name makes it more hip and acceptable.
Joy Swift Spa wrote: » For someone who was adopted and experienced that for the first time as an adult, that feeling can probably get confused as "I'm feeling something for this person I've never felt before, it's very attractive", and the incest-taboo isn't there on anything but an intellectual level.
Shint0 wrote: » Even on an intellectual level would a birth mother and child in that scenario not be able to make that rationalisation which would act to offset any sexual or physical attraction where they just wouldn't even countenance it in the first place.
Joy Swift Spa wrote: » Well I mean one would think so, but obviously it's not always the case. Depending on what kind of person someone is and the circumstances, a strong sexual attraction can override all sorts of reasons why they rationally know that this is a bad idea with potentially terrible fall-out, this is just a particularly extreme one. Honestly I can't really see the harm where it's siblings or cousins of a similar age, much as it makes me queasy. A parent/child relationship just seems like there's a huge potential for abuse though, it's far too imbalanced.
PARlance wrote: » I'm dyslexic and find the whole thing GAS.
tomwaterford wrote: » I'm pretty sure this is rampant in Kilkenny going on rumours
A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: » This is worse than the time Floyd and his sister Heather did the nasty on Fair City. Thankfully Eunice didn't live to see any of that terrible business.
seamus wrote: » Incestual relationships don't even produce sick children, it takes several generations.
Shint0 wrote: » Surely though people are able to exercise some degree of self-control or detachment as they would in other situations in their lives. For me if I found myself attracted to someone and if I sensed or actually discovered they are in a happy, secure, stable relationship, that's where the attraction would end for me. I just wouldn't go there. There are some things that are just off-limits and someone being happily attached would be a passion killer for me.
Renegade Mechanic wrote: » Call me crazy but, while I was "disgusting and oppressive" for wanting nothing to do with a pride parade, I promise you all that at this rate, we will all be the "disgusting oppressors" in time, for being against what is today called paedophilia, but will tomorrow be called something less stigmatic... Best get ready to make peace with that. All well and good being "with the times" and 'progressive' but you'll want to put on the brakes eventually - Because it never stops, it only gets worse - and the second you do, you'll learn what it's like to have a brain and a lick of common sense. You'll be hated for it