After asking about what paraphilic infantilism is, the next question is usually "why do you want to wear diapers," "why am I like this," or more basically...

"Why?"

Paraphilic infantilism can be the result of many causes. Most theories focus on one of three suspects; defense mechanisms, conditioning, and biologic factors. More than one factor may be involved, and they may be different from one case to another. As a result, finding the cause for a particular case may take some detective work. As in all detective novels, this search proceeds by understanding the suspects.

Defense Mechanisms

The first suspect is the mental mechanism. Emotional stress or trauma that isn't resolved directly needs to be redirected. Mental mechanisms are a subconscious way of deflecting those pressures. These were documented by Sigmund Freud around the turn of the century, and are summarized at Health-Center.com (dead link).

For example, consider a schoolchild who is under pressure to be more mature. To protect his self-esteem, his subconscious might use a defense mechanism. One mechanism is "substitution." Instead of suffering the mental damage of not having what he wants, he changes his wants. He subconsciously substitutes one desire for another desire. Instead of an urging to be mature beyond his years, his subconscious urges him to be infantile. Substitution is only one of a list of mechanisms. Another example of mechanisms driving infantilism can be found in Three Things to do with a Wet Knee Brace.

Mental mechanisms are common. However, very few that have the potential to cause infantilism actually do so.

Conditioning

The next suspect is conditioning. In contrast to the zig-zag reasoning of the mental mechanism, conditioning is straightforward. The best known example of conditioning is Ivan Pavlov's experiment, where he conditioned dogs to associate a bell with food. When the bell rang, the dogs would salivate. This was one of many experiments run in the 30's through the 60's. In another, slides of footware intermixed with erotic pictures were shown to men. After 30 such trials, some of the men started to show an erectile response to the footware [1]. The theory is simple and intuitive. Something non-sexual becomes sexual because it was associated with something sexual. Boots became associated with nude women.

This suspect is the most popular because of it's simplicity and tangibility. It is easy to understand how diapers might become erotic for an infant. The rubbing of the warm, and often wet padding stimulates the sexual organs. Unfortunately, it isn't that simple. If it were, infantilism would be much more common. Some cases may have been sparked by conditioning, but there needs to be more factors involved. Otherwise, many more infants who wore diapers would grow up with diaper fetishes.

Biologic Factors

The third suspect is a gang of biologic factors. These factors include genetics, hormonal exposure inside the womb, and biochemical reactions throughout life. Recently, there have been a number of studies to determine the influence of these factors.

T. J. Taylor has a summarized a particular set, the twin studies (dead link). If you take a homosexual man and another man, there is a certain chance that the other man will also be homosexual. If the two men have nothing in common, this chance is 2-10%, depending on the study. However, if the two are non-identical twins, this chance increases to 12-22%. These men shared a womb and usually a home. However, they had a different genetic makeup. Finally, if the two men are identical twins, the probability of both being homosexual increases to 43-100%. These men have many things in common, including a shared womb and a genetic makeup. These studies show a connection between biologic factors and paraphilias. Even after birth, the ongoing effect of biology can be seen in the aftermath of head injuries, which may redirect sexual attractions [2].

Summary

Most people ask the question "why" and expect a simple answer, like the conclusion to a detective novel. In fact, this "who-done-it" is more of a conspiracy theory. Mental reactions to the environment filter through biological factors to become a deeply rooted behavior: paraphilic infantilism.

While some detective work will be required to determine the causes, it is often worth the effort. The rewards may include a better self-understanding, resolution to infantilism-related issues, realization of other effects that are more dangerous than infantilism, and of course, a more specific answer for when you are next asked "why."

Email BitterGrey Level: General | Status: Finished | Last Update: 15 September 2001| First: 15 Sept 2001

	For a Second Opinion: Tommys Theory on Infantilism Chris Dugans What Causes Spanking Fetishes? (Dead link)
	Books and Other References: Rachman, S., and Hodgson, R. J.(1968) Experimentally-induced sexual fetishism: Replication and development. Psychological Record, 18, 25-27 Miller, B., Cummings, J., McIntyre, H. & Ebers, G., (1986) Hypersexuality or altered sexual preference following brain injury, Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, 49, 867-873.