Lately, strange things keep happening around me. Recently, a 32-year-old mother named Misty Atkinson in the U.S. has been using the slogan "hereditary sexual attraction" to justify her incestuous relationship with her 16-year-old biological son! Does psychology really recognize such a concept? Is this claim grounded in psychological science or pure nonsense?Psychology has its own scientific judgments and perspectives...
Case Details:
According to a June 22 report by the UK's Daily Mail website, a mother and son in California recently engaged in incestuous behavior. The mother was sentenced to four years and eight months in prison, but she insists it wasn't incest but rather a case of "hereditary sexual attraction."
The mother, Misty Atkinson, 32, lost custody of her son after divorcing her ex-husband, leading to a 15-year separation. In late 2011, she located her then-16-year-old son on Facebook, after which they began exchanging inappropriate, flirtatious messages.
Later, unable to endure domestic violence from her live-in boyfriend, Atkinson called the police. Following this incident, she began engaging in sexual contact with her biological son. The boy's relatives reported them to authorities after discovering frequent suggestive messages exchanged between Atkinson and her son on Facebook, exposing their inappropriate relationship.
On March 2 this year, police discovered the "illicit" mother-son pair in a California motel. A video found on the boy's phone showed Atkinson performing oral sex on her son. Court documents also revealed Atkinson had sent nude photos of herself to him.
In a letter to the court, Atkinson argued these acts did not constitute incest. "I do not believe I should be held legally responsible for these actions, as they are not incest but rather a strong genetic sexual attraction. If relatives are separated for a long time, half of them will engage in such behavior upon reunion."
I. What is "hereditary sexual attraction," and does it exist?
Origin:
The term "hereditary sexual attraction" was coined by Barbara Gonia, who was startled by the sexual thoughts that arose when she reunited with her son—abandoned as an infant and now a 26-year-old adult.Her desire for her son never materialized because he did not reciprocate her affection, and after she married, her feelings for him began to fade.
In a book she authored, she explained this sensation as follows: "Such romantic love and sexual thoughts may stem from a lack of early intimacy between mother and newborn, or from the need to compensate later in life for emotional deprivation experienced when siblings were separated early due to foster care. Many individuals encountering this situation require, in adulthood, to experience the intimacy that should have occurred in early life. This relationship may or may not evolve into a sexual one."
Evidence 1: Real-world research
In Israeli kibbutzim (collective communities), children are grouped by age (rather than blood ties or other relationships) and live in separate cohorts. A study of marriages among kibbutz members found that only 14 out of 3,000 cases involved individuals marrying someone from the same cohort they grew up in.Not one of these 14 couples had been raised together during their first six years of life. This highlights a crucial point: the first six years of life represent a critical developmental window. If this window is absent—for example, when biological siblings grow up in separate environments—they may later experience sexual attraction upon meeting. This phenomenon is termed genetic sexual attraction.
Evidence 2: Mythology as History
Stories of sibling marriages appear earliest in various mythologies. For instance, in Chinese mythology, Fuxi and Nüwa were brother and sister who married and bore children, becoming the progenitors of all humanity. Similarly, Osiris and Isis in Egyptian mythology, and Zeus and Hera in Greek mythology, were siblings who married.The Records of the Grand Historian documents that during the Spring and Autumn Period, Wen Jiang, daughter of Duke Xi of Qi, engaged in incestuous relations with her half-brother Duke Xiang of Qi.
Beyond these ancient myths, similar plots frequently appear in modern dramas. Often, long-lost siblings reunite and fall in love, only to face a thunderbolt-like shock upon discovering the truth—leading either to madness or a painful farewell. Hegel stated: "What exists is rational." If drama mirrors life, where does this rationality originate?
II. How Does Genetic Sexual Attraction Occur?
—On "Genetic Attraction" and "Genetic Sexual Attraction": Genetic Similarity Enhances Mutual Attraction
A Bit of Psychology:
Generally, people feel more drawn to those who resemble them physically, perceiving them as more attractive and trustworthy.When seeking partners, people also prefer those with shared interests and compatible personalities. Blood relatives often exhibit significant personality similarities, making this phenomenon common. When genetic sexual attraction occurs between parents and children, parents may unconsciously view their offspring as potential partners, as children often inherit both physical features and personality traits from their parents.
Anthropologists theorize that closely related individuals share genetic makeup and often exhibit similar appearances, personalities, and interests, making mutual attraction more likely. Between same-sex relatives, this fosters strong identification—termed "genetic attraction." However, when occurring between opposite-sex relatives, it evolves into "genetic sexual attraction."
III. Psychological Controversy
Pro Argument: Psychological research confirms the existence of "genetic sexual attraction"
A 1995 report in the British Journal of Medical Psychology stated: "Relationships between people are tied to their perceptions of each other, much like familial bonds. You'll find both parties undergoing ethical scrutiny. This relationship is interactive and ineffable."Researchers were astonished to find that over 50% of children raised elsewhere experienced intense sexual urges toward their biological family members upon reunion."
Opposing View: The Westermarck Effect proves so-called sexual attraction is pure nonsense!
The Westermarck Effect states that two children raised together from infancy will not develop sexual attraction toward each other in adulthood.This phenomenon was proposed by Finnish anthropologist Edvard Westermarck in his work The History of Human Marriage.The Westermarck Effect has been observed across diverse regions and cultural contexts, including Israeli kibbutz collective communities, China's child bride custom, and other families with blood ties. This phenomenon is believed to have evolved as a mechanism to prevent incestuous relationships.
Evidence:
Studies reveal that in China's child bride system, young girls were brought into homes to be raised alongside their betrothed. Westermarck's research found that these child brides typically resisted such marriages upon reaching adulthood. Even when forced into marriage, these unions rarely flourished, and female fertility rates declined—likely because both parties discovered a lack of sexual attraction.
Psychological Perspectives:
Freud proposed that members of the same family possess innate sexual desire for one another, necessitating societal taboos against incest.
Westermarck argued that humans actively develop aversion to sexual attraction toward family members through shared upbringing.