Question

A man regularly derives sexual gratification by inflicting pain upon his partner. He would often produce cuts and cigarette burns on his partner’s arms. This is best described as.

• A. Voyeurism
• B. Fetishism
• C. Sadism
• D. Masochism

Hint:

In forensic psychology, sadism is often differentiated from masochism based on whether the individual derives pleasure from inflicting pain (sadism) or from receiving pain (masochism).

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Voyeurism: This refers to deriving sexual pleasure from watching others engage in intimate activities without their knowledge or consent. This does not fit the scenario described here, as the individual is actively inflicting pain rather than observing.
Fetishism: Fetishism is the sexual attraction to an object or non-genital body part, such as feet or leather. While this could involve objects, it does not involve inflicting pain as described in the question.
Sadism: This is the correct answer. Sadism refers to the sexual gratification that one derives from inflicting pain, suffering, or humiliation on others. In the given scenario, the man derives sexual pleasure from causing physical harm to his partner, making sadism the most appropriate term.
Masochism: Masochism involves deriving sexual pleasure from experiencing pain or suffering oneself, rather than inflicting it on others. This is the opposite of sadism. Thus, the correct answer is Sadism (3) because it describes the behavior of deriving sexual pleasure from inflicting pain on others.