Latent structure of sexual maturity interests: Pedophilic, pedohebephilic, and teleiophilic preferences in community adult males

Abstract

The latent structure of individual difference constructs is a core concern in psychological science. Understanding latent structure has wide-ranging implications for measurement practices, statistical modelling choices, clinical/applied practice, and research examining etiology and causation. Most constructs in psychological science tend towards dimensional latent structure and can be accurately characterised as continua. One exception to this general rule is human sexual attraction. Within this area of psychological science, the status of sexual preference for children over adults is contested, with different studies suggesting varying latent structures. Using a large sample of males living in the community (N = 8,776), the current research aims to provide a robust evaluation of the latent structure of sexual maturity interests. Evidence for a three-taxa latent structure was confirmed in the sample. This study demonstrates human sexual maturity preference is populated with categorical constructs and has wide-ranging implications for future research in this area.