Data_Sheet_1_Embodiment and Humiliation Moderation of Neural Responses to Others' Suffering in Female Submissive BDSM Practitioners.docx

Giving and receiving pain are common in the practice of BDSM (bondage-discipline, dominance-submission, and sadism-masochism). Playing a submissive role during BDSM practice weakens both the behavioral and neural empathic responses of female individuals to others' suffering, suggesting that long-term BDSM experience affects BDSM practitioners' empathic ability. This study further investigates whether physical restriction during BDSM practice also modulates individuals' neural responses to others' suffering. We measured neural responses to others' suffering by recording event-related potentials (ERPs) in female submissives while they viewed painful and neutral expressions in sexual sadistic/general social contexts under ball gag Blocking and Relaxed conditions. The neural responses recorded during 92–112 ms (N1), 132–172 ms (P2), 200–340 ms (N2), early late positive potential (LPP, 400–600 ms), and late LPP (700–1,000 ms) were included in the analyses. Compared to the relaxed condition, when a ball gag was used to prevent facial muscle movement and facial mimicry, the N1, early LPP, and late LPP responses neural responses to others' suffering were inhibited. The moderation effect of ball gag blocking on the N1 and early LPP amplitudes was positively correlated with the subjective feelings of facial muscle stillness, and the blocking moderation effect on the late LPP amplitudes was positively correlated with subjective feelings of humiliation. This study is the first neuropsychological investigation of the transient BDSM-related physical restriction effects on BDSM practitioners. These findings suggest that physical restriction (via a ball gag) during BDSM practices increases the wearer's facial muscle stillness and sense of humiliation. This physical restriction inhibits both early automatic responses and late controlled processes in response to the suffering of others.施虐与受虐行为在BDSM（捆绑-管教、支配-臣服以及施虐-受虐）实践中极为常见。在BDSM实践中扮演臣服角色的女性个体，其对他人痛苦的行为与神经共情反应均会减弱，这提示长期的BDSM体验会影响实践者的共情能力。本研究进一步探究BDSM实践中的身体约束是否同样会调节个体对他人痛苦的神经反应。我们通过记录女性臣服者在口球约束与放松两种条件下，于性施虐场景与普通社会场景中观察痛苦与中性表情时的事件相关电位（event-related potentials, ERPs），以此测量其对他人痛苦的神经反应。本研究分析纳入了92~112 ms（N1）、132~172 ms（P2）、200~340 ms（N2）、早期晚正电位（early late positive potential, LPP，400~600 ms）以及晚期LPP（late LPP，700~1000 ms）时段的神经反应。与放松条件相比，当使用口球限制面部肌肉活动与面部模仿行为时，个体对他人痛苦的N1、早期LPP以及晚期LPP神经反应均受到抑制。口球约束对N1与早期LPP波幅的调节效应与个体面部肌肉静止的主观感受呈正相关，而对晚期LPP波幅的调节效应则与受辱的主观感受呈正相关。本研究是首个从神经心理学角度探究BDSM相关暂时性身体约束对实践者影响的研究。上述研究结果表明，BDSM实践中通过口球实现的身体约束会提升佩戴者的面部肌肉静止程度与受辱感。这种身体约束会抑制个体对他人痛苦的早期自动化反应与晚期控制加工过程。