The AB/DL Surveys

Surveys have led to a much more detailed picture of AB/DLs overall. While it would be easier to assert some one archetype as typical of all AB/DLs, this would be an oversimplification. Instead of telling the AB/DLs who they ought to be, the surveys ask them who they are. This has shown a number of trends, but also exceptions to every rule.

Responses are being gathered for the final survey in the series, called "Odds and Ends". This survey asks about backgrounds and interests.

Surveys By Others, 1980-2004

Thomas John Speaker's 1980 Masters thesis, Sexual Infantilism in Adults: Causes and Treatment, explored the social and medical context of what would later be called paraphilic infantilism and/or diaper fetishism. In it, he argued that paraphilias were seen as debilitating because mental health professionals only saw individuals with serous problems. To make this point, Tom Speaker contacted a number of ordinary AB/DLs, many without serous problems. He expanded this work in his doctoral dissertation Psychosexual infantilism in Adults: The eroticization of regression.

From 1998 though 2004, Dave's Diaper Survey gathered responses online over email. The results were hosted at geocities, but now remain available as archives mirrored at the Wayback Machine.

Much less formal attempts to estimate the size of the AB/DL population have also occurred. One undertaken by Enfant Mel is notable, but mainly due to its age.

The goal of this survey was to get a better idea of how alike AB/DLs were and how they fit into the larger fetish and BDSM communities.

Summary results: the basics, important aspects, joys texts, childhood, events texts, struggles, messages texts, roleplay, sex, and election

Distributions: Beyond documenting some 'average' AB/DL, three sets of anslyses explored the distributions. The Range Between AB and DL explored how the interests in wetting/messing, roleplay, regression, and sexuality vary among AB/DLs. The Changing AB/DL Community displayed shifts in the community depending on birthyear, possibly due to changes in technology and culture. Mapping Paraphilic Infantilism and Diaper Fetishes attempted to visualize the populations based on the importance of themes such as control, babyhood, and sexuality.

Cause and Effect:Three sets of analyses sought to display differing causes by contrasting the effects. AB/DLs in Diapers Already showed that AB/DLs who were in diapers due to extended bedwetting, etc., were not that different from those who weren't. Girls, Boys, and Diapers showed that girls whose desires developed early were similar to males in specific ways. In contrast, women whose desires developed latter differed; notably, they tended not to be interested in diapers. Trauma and Exposure Among AB/DLs displayed a marked contrast between AB/DLs who reported "always" having their desires, and those who associated the start of their desires with exposure to AB/DL stories, pictures, etc. Together, these studies suggest a common pool of causes for most AB/DLs, but clearly not a singular cause for all AB/DLs.

2008-2009: Diapers and More

This survey explored one thing central to AB/DLs, and some things that aren't.

Summary results: the basics; birth order; siblings texts; masochism, crossdressing, furry fandom, fetishism; interests texts; associated conditions; conditions texts; changes over time; changing aspects texts; diapers, diapers, diapers; and fantasy diaper texts.

Two studies showed that the desires of AB/DLs are influenced by, but not determined by, their childhood. Diaper Preference among AB/DLs showed that the type of diaper that an AB/DL prefers in fantasy isn't necessarily the type he or she wore as a baby. Birthorder of AB/DLs explored reasons why AB/DLs might come from large families, but showed that probability of an only child becoming an AB/DL were higher.

A third study, Other Conditions Prevalent among AB/DLs showed that paraphilic infantilism and diaper fetishism were not the only influences on the desire for diapers and/or babyhood for a minority of AB/DLs. Incontinence was explored, as was Asperger's syndrome and obsessive compulsive disorder.

A fourth study, Paraphilia and Kink, documented that the importance of various aspects of AB/DL games, scenes, and fantasies can change over time, and that new interests can be developed.

This survey took a first step into the exploration of AB/DL practices.

Summary results: Basics; favorite media; media (texts) partners; coming out; coming out (texts) needing diapers; needing diapers (texts); significant others; significant others (texts)

Five years into the series, the final survey was opened. This survey will cover a number of big and little items, rounding out the other surveys.

Email BitterGrey Level: General | Last Update: 8 Aug 2011| First 7 June 2006

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