# Is there a book that discusses the psychology behind sexual fetishes

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-book-that-discusses-the-psychology-behind-sexual-fetishes/762301>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [August 10, 2016, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-book-that-discusses-the-psychology-behind-sexual-fetishes/762301 "2016-08-10T01:40:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2016, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-book-that-discusses-the-psychology-behind-sexual-fetishes/762301/21 "2016-08-13T14:48:55Z")

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> [@BigT](#):
>
> The most recent stuff I’ve read is about sexual cue theory, which posits that fetishes are just mixtures of sexual cues, sometimes taken further than usual. Only the most bizarre fetishes involve some sort of triggering incident. Stuff like BDSM or foot fetishes usually don’t.
> 
> The guy saying this has written articles for Psychology Today, and I believe he wrote a book on this, but I’m having trouble finding it this early in the morning.
> 
> One thing I specifically remember is that studies have shown that penises are actually a male sexual cue–even in straight men, as found in certain tests. This means that seeing a penis makes them think of sex. And that this sometimes coalesces into a trans fetish.
> 
> I’m posting this in hopes that someone else might find it. I must be using the wrong words.

Ogi Ogas?

[https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/billion-wicked-thoughts](https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/billion-wicked-thoughts)

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**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2016, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-a-book-that-discusses-the-psychology-behind-sexual-fetishes/762301/22 "2016-08-13T16:53:12Z")

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> [@Machine\_Elf](#):
>
> Years ago a therapist recommended [Lovemaps](https://www.amazon.com/Lovemaps-John-Money/dp/0879754567/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1470937332&sr=8-1&keywords=lovemaps) to help me make some sense of my ABDL interests. I never did read it, but the author was [John Money,](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Money) a noted (and controversial) sex researcher.

I knew John Money, and studied under him repeatedly between 1978 and 1983. He was brilliant, controversial, and also, unfortunately, quite wrong in some areas. Particularly about his idea that gender identity could be molded and shaped by therapy early on. So don’t take his work as gospel.

Even so, he made excellent points about paraphilias, and he was an early advocate of having those with gender identity noncomformity issues be considered for treatment with hormones and surgery.

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