(776) Personality Traits, Emotion Dysregulation, and Sexual Fantasies: An Observational Study on the Psychological Correlates of Erotic Imagination

Abstract Introduction Sexual fantasies are a central yet often overlooked component of human sexuality, serving affective and regulatory functions within the individual’s psychological landscape. Despite growing theoretical attention, few empirical studies have systematically explored how personality traits and emotion regulation interact to shape the structure and meaning of erotic imagination. This study examined the psychological correlates of sexual fantasy contents through an integrative dimensional framework bridging psychodynamic and empirical perspectives. Objective The study investigated the relationships between maladaptive personality traits, emotion dysregulation, and sexual fantasy themes, testing emotion dysregulation as a mediator between personality functioning and fantasy contents. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted on 414 participants aged 18–51 years (M = 28.03, SD = 6.80). Participants completed validated self-report measures of maladaptive personality traits (Personality Inventory for DSM-5 – Brief Form), emotion regulation difficulties (Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale), and sexual fantasy contents (Erotic Imagery Questionnaire). Data were analyzed using Spearman correlations, multiple regressions, and mediation analyses, controlling for sociodemographic variables (age, gender identity, sexual orientation). Results Emotion dysregulation dimensions showed significant associations with specific fantasy themes. The Impulse domain correlated positively with Dominance/Submission (ρ = .18; p .001), Variety of partners (ρ = .12; p .05), Transgressive (ρ = .11; p .05), and Paraphilic contents (ρ = .10; p .05). Conversely, Awareness and Clarity correlated negatively with Emotional-Romantic fantasies (ρ = –.25 and –.13, respectively, p.01). Among personality traits, Psychoticism showed the strongest links, particularly with Dominance/Submission (ρ = .22; p .001), Variety of partners (ρ = .16, p .001), and Transgressive fantasies (ρ = .14; p .01). Negative Affectivity was related to both Dominance/Submission and Romantic themes (ρ = .13; p .01), while Disinhibition correlated negatively with Romantic fantasies (ρ = –.10; p.05). Regression models confirmed that Impulse predicted Dominance/Submission (R2 = .09; F = 3.059; p .001; β = .17, p .001) and Transgressive fantasies (R2 = .117; F = 4.059; p .001; β = .17; p .01), whereas Awareness deficits predicted lower Romantic contents (R2 = .114; F = 3.955; p .001; β = –.20, p .001). Psychoticism was the most robust predictor of Dominance/Submission (R2 = .105; F = 3.597; p .001; β = .21, p .001) and Transgressive themes (R2 = .114; F = 3.944; p .001; β = .16; p .001). Mediation analyses indicated that Awareness partially mediated the link between Negative Affectivity and Romantic fantasies (β indirect = –.03; p .05). The mediation of Impulse between Psychoticism and Dominance/Submission was not significant (β indirect = .07; p = .078), suggesting a primarily direct effect of Psychoticism. Conclusions Findings highlight the interplay between maladaptive personality traits, emotion dysregulation, and the thematic organization of sexual fantasies. Erotic imagination appears to function as both expression and regulation of affective states, reflecting underlying personality dynamics. These results support a dimensional understanding of erotic imagination as a psychologically meaningful and non-pathologizing aspect of sexual well-being. Disclosure No