ur_inner_child
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http://www.smh.com.au/news/science/why-arty-types-crave-lust/2005/11/29/1133026469696.html
The more creative a person is, the more sexual partners he or she is likely to have.
Researchers at Newcastle University who have just released a study on the subject said this could explain the behaviour of notorious womanisers such as the poets Lord Byron and Dylan Thomas, and the artist Pablo Picasso. Other famed lotharios were the writer Jack Kerouac and the painter Caravaggio.
The study found professional artists and poets have about twice as many sexual partners as those who do not indulge in these creative activities. The authors also delved into the personalities of artists and poets and discovered they shared some traits with the mentally ill.
These traits were linked with an increased sexual activity and are thought to have evolved because they contribute to the survival of the human species.
About 425 British men and women - including a sample of visual artists, poets and schizophrenic patients - were surveyed for the report, published in The Proceedings of the Royal Society.
Although creative types have long been associated with increased sexual activity, this is the first time a link has been proved by research. Participants in the study filled in questionnaires that asked about their degree of creative activity in poetry and visual art, their psychiatric history, and their history of sexual encounters since the age of 18.
They were also required to answer questions on a "schizotypy inventory", a breakdown of characteristics linked with schizophrenic patients.
The average number of sexual partners for professional artists and poets was between four and 10, compared with a mean of three for non-creative types.
Statistics also showed the average number of sexual partners rose in line with an increase in the amount of creative activity a person took part in.
A psychology lecturer, Dr Daniel Nettle, gave two main reasons for the findings.
"Creative people are often considered to be very attractive and get lots of attention as a result," he said. "They tend to be charismatic and produce art and poetry that grabs people's interest.
"It could also be that very creative types lead a bohemian lifestyle and tend to act on more sexual impulses and opportunities, often purely for experience's sake, than the average person would."
The more creative a person is, the more sexual partners he or she is likely to have.
Researchers at Newcastle University who have just released a study on the subject said this could explain the behaviour of notorious womanisers such as the poets Lord Byron and Dylan Thomas, and the artist Pablo Picasso. Other famed lotharios were the writer Jack Kerouac and the painter Caravaggio.
The study found professional artists and poets have about twice as many sexual partners as those who do not indulge in these creative activities. The authors also delved into the personalities of artists and poets and discovered they shared some traits with the mentally ill.
These traits were linked with an increased sexual activity and are thought to have evolved because they contribute to the survival of the human species.
About 425 British men and women - including a sample of visual artists, poets and schizophrenic patients - were surveyed for the report, published in The Proceedings of the Royal Society.
Although creative types have long been associated with increased sexual activity, this is the first time a link has been proved by research. Participants in the study filled in questionnaires that asked about their degree of creative activity in poetry and visual art, their psychiatric history, and their history of sexual encounters since the age of 18.
They were also required to answer questions on a "schizotypy inventory", a breakdown of characteristics linked with schizophrenic patients.
The average number of sexual partners for professional artists and poets was between four and 10, compared with a mean of three for non-creative types.
Statistics also showed the average number of sexual partners rose in line with an increase in the amount of creative activity a person took part in.
A psychology lecturer, Dr Daniel Nettle, gave two main reasons for the findings.
"Creative people are often considered to be very attractive and get lots of attention as a result," he said. "They tend to be charismatic and produce art and poetry that grabs people's interest.
"It could also be that very creative types lead a bohemian lifestyle and tend to act on more sexual impulses and opportunities, often purely for experience's sake, than the average person would."
