Identification

Psychology of BDSM

Psychology
of BDSM

Psychology
gateway

(all psychology articles)

Basics

Penetration

Engagement

Consent

Communication

Power

Authority

Control

Trust

Fetish

Defence mechanisms

Mapping motivations to activities

Roles
Top		Bottom
Dominant		Submissive
Master		Slave
Trainer		Trainee
Owner		Property
Mistress
Switch
SAM

Motivations (all motivation articles)

Ecstasy

Subspace

Catharsis

Surrender

Experiencing power

Hotter sex

Recreation

Expiation of guilt

Intimacy and bonding

Physiological outcomes

Chemical high

Unhealthy motivations

Just a bit of fun (not)

Pain (not)

Play versus "deep play" versus work

Transformation of pain into pleasure

The joy of being a top or dominant

Identification is a psychological defence mechanism which the mind uses to protect or bolster an identity under threat. It is the process whereby we associate ourselves with another person or group by finding or imagining some characteristic, skill, or ability which we have in common with them.

Like other psychological defence mechanisms, this one is unconscious (i.e., the person isn't aware they are doing it), but it goes something like this:

• A dominant who has doubts about his ability may say to himself, "I must be OK because I can give a flogging just like Master K can", or
• A submissive who is unsure of themselves may say, "I am at least as good a submissive as Slave Q because I can do XYZ easily as well as he can!"

See also

• Projection
• Denial