r/psychology • u/mvea M.D. Ph.D. | Professor • 2d ago
The psychology behind why some people want to censor classic nude art: People who prioritize social order, tradition, and communal norms were more likely to respond with unease or moralized disapproval. Ingroup loyalty and purity were linked to judging male nude art as more pornographic.
https://www.psypost.org/the-psychology-behind-why-some-people-want-to-censor-classic-nude-art/33
u/ManicMaenads 2d ago
Yeah, I have no clue with these people.
My mother came across like this around others, very pearl-clutchy and puritan - always complaining if a statue had boobs or a dong, if there was a "kissing scene" in a movie, if another woman in public looked "too hot" she'd make a big stink.
In private, at home, she was a complete pervert. The shrill, prude conservative woman was all an act to garner social respect.
I don't think these people actually believe any of the things they shreik about in the presence of others. It's all performance, something they do to ensure they are on a higher rung of their chosen social hierarchy, and as soon as they're behind closed doors the mask comes off.
She was having secret affairs all those years, and wearing a mask to obscure it.
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u/volvavirago 1d ago
Every accusation is a confession, as they say. It’s all projection. A perverted mind sees perversion everywhere.
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u/sluttytarot 1d ago
Made me think instantly of r/museum where someone comments regularly to say "tag this nsfw" when it's nonsexual nudity
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u/mvea M.D. Ph.D. | Professor 2d ago
The psychology behind why some people want to censor classic nude art
New research published in Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, & the Arts finds that people’s moral values shape how they judge paintings of nude figures.
Study 1, which focused on paintings of nude women, revealed that people who more strongly endorsed individualizing moral foundations rated the artwork as more beautiful and more interesting. In contrast, people who more strongly endorsed binding moral foundations rated the artwork as less beautiful, felt more discomfort while viewing it, and judged it as more pornographic.
The broader pattern suggested that viewers who prioritize autonomy, care, and fairness were more likely to approach nude artwork positively, whereas viewers who prioritize social order, tradition, and communal norms were more likely to respond with unease or moralized disapproval. Further, paintings rated as more beautiful were generally rated as more interesting and emotionally positive, while higher discomfort was linked with seeing the artwork as more pornographic.
Study 2, which focused on paintings of nude men, produced a largely similar pattern. Higher endorsement of individualizing moral foundations again predicted seeing the artwork as more beautiful and interesting. Higher endorsement of binding moral foundations predicted seeing the artwork as more pornographic, feeling more discomfort, judging it as less beautiful, and showing less interest in viewing it. When the authors examined the five moral foundations separately, care predicted more positive evaluations of male nude artwork, while ingroup loyalty and purity were associated with judging male nude artwork as more pornographic.
Across both studies, the findings supported the authors’ central claim that moral values help shape aesthetic responses to nude art, even when the images are presented as fine art rather than explicitly sexual material.
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u/LowCortis0l 2d ago
That sounds like a combination of moral purity and social conformity. It's part of the larger category of disgust sensitivity, which is related to food aversions as well.
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u/Igotyourmilkiesgaga 7h ago
What do you mean by social conformity in this case? I’m an undergrad psych student so I would like to know more about your take.
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u/Cardio-fast-eatass 2d ago
I have a hard time believing this conclusion. If you look at any art sub it is FULL of pearl clutching outraged “progressives” any time a nude women is posted.
I think it all comes down to insecurity at the end of the day
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u/Internal_Exit8440 2d ago
TL;DR Penises make conservative men feel weird about themselves and they don't want to look at them. (Deep down they want to so bad they can't help but see it as pornographic) Yeah checks out.
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u/ChrisDEmbry 2d ago
This is tangential, but whenever someone says America is a hyper-masculine society ask him if it's more likely they'll see a penis or boobs in a movie.
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u/Psych0PompOs 2d ago
There's a lot more dicks in movies more recently than there used to be.
Though that being said I don't see how preferring to look at boobs over dick is less masculine.
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u/PolecatXOXO 2d ago
Since about 20 years now, I see far, far more peen than I'm comfortable with. I think I've only seen boobs on maybe 1 or 2 HBO shows, and the rest were European.
I just recently saw actual boobs in a K-Drama and thought I found a unicorn. What's next? Bollywood?
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u/PqzzoRqzzo 2d ago
Obviously they are appealing to a different tradition, but the tradition of nude art is more traditional then the one they are appealing to.