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Creativity tied to sexual success
From: Image supplied
From correspondents in New York
December 08, 2005
ARTISTS have a more active love life than most of us with part of the reason being their tendency toward a certain schizophrenia-linked personality trait, a study suggests.
In a survey of 425 British adults, researchers found serious poets and visual artists generally had more sexual partners than those who were either not artistic or only dabbled in the arts.
Further analysis showed one personality dimension, a tendency toward unusual thoughts and perceptions, was related to both creativity and sexual success.
That tendency was also seen in people with schizophrenia.
The findings, according to the study authors, may help explain why schizophrenia - a mental disorder that often runs in families - has not been extinguished from the gene pool.
Certain schizophrenia-related personality traits, they speculate, may confer benefits when they are not part of a mental illness.
For example, when the traits instead spur creativity, they may offer a mating advantage, according to the researchers led by Daniel Nettle, a psychologist at the University of Newcastle.
He and colleague Helen Keenoo reported their findings in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society.
Artists, from 18th century poets to 21st century musicians, have a well-earned reputation for leading busy romantic lives.
But until now, there had never been a systematic comparison to document the phenomenon, Mr Nettle said.
Studies have shown creative types have higher than average rates of schizophrenia in their families, and the creative types themselves might have a heightened tendency toward schizophrenia-like traits.
Schizophrenia has a strong genetic component and people with the disorder suffer poorer overall health and a lower likelihood of having children.
However, these factors had not reduced the traits that predisposed people to schizophrenia.
Some researchers speculated the link between schizophrenic traits and creativity - a positive effect - could be one reason.
In the new study, participants disclosed the number of sexual partners they'd had as adults and answered questions gauging four schizophrenia-related personality dimensions.
One was the tendency toward unusual experiences, defined as atypical thoughts or perceptions, or magical thinking. This trait, the study found, was more common in serious artists and those who have had more sexual partners. The findings, according to Mr Nettle, suggested unusual thinking and perceptions when operating in a healthy person spurred creativity and, in turn, may make a person more attractive.
Original article
Hmmmm
Very interesting *raises eyebrow*
There must be a lot of busy people here at AW.
And if some of us aren't successful in one way, it must be the other.
From: Image supplied
From correspondents in New York
December 08, 2005
ARTISTS have a more active love life than most of us with part of the reason being their tendency toward a certain schizophrenia-linked personality trait, a study suggests.
In a survey of 425 British adults, researchers found serious poets and visual artists generally had more sexual partners than those who were either not artistic or only dabbled in the arts.
Further analysis showed one personality dimension, a tendency toward unusual thoughts and perceptions, was related to both creativity and sexual success.
That tendency was also seen in people with schizophrenia.
The findings, according to the study authors, may help explain why schizophrenia - a mental disorder that often runs in families - has not been extinguished from the gene pool.
Certain schizophrenia-related personality traits, they speculate, may confer benefits when they are not part of a mental illness.
For example, when the traits instead spur creativity, they may offer a mating advantage, according to the researchers led by Daniel Nettle, a psychologist at the University of Newcastle.
He and colleague Helen Keenoo reported their findings in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society.
Artists, from 18th century poets to 21st century musicians, have a well-earned reputation for leading busy romantic lives.
But until now, there had never been a systematic comparison to document the phenomenon, Mr Nettle said.
Studies have shown creative types have higher than average rates of schizophrenia in their families, and the creative types themselves might have a heightened tendency toward schizophrenia-like traits.
Schizophrenia has a strong genetic component and people with the disorder suffer poorer overall health and a lower likelihood of having children.
However, these factors had not reduced the traits that predisposed people to schizophrenia.
Some researchers speculated the link between schizophrenic traits and creativity - a positive effect - could be one reason.
In the new study, participants disclosed the number of sexual partners they'd had as adults and answered questions gauging four schizophrenia-related personality dimensions.
One was the tendency toward unusual experiences, defined as atypical thoughts or perceptions, or magical thinking. This trait, the study found, was more common in serious artists and those who have had more sexual partners. The findings, according to Mr Nettle, suggested unusual thinking and perceptions when operating in a healthy person spurred creativity and, in turn, may make a person more attractive.
Original article
Hmmmm
Very interesting *raises eyebrow*
There must be a lot of busy people here at AW.
And if some of us aren't successful in one way, it must be the other.
?
