Oedipus Complex Redux

“That early childhood experiences mould our adult sexual preferences—specifically, what turns us on and off, however subtle or even unconscious these biases may be—could be run-of-the-mill.” Research psychologist Jesse Bering tries to cut through sexual taboo to uncover how development during childhood influences sexual preferences later in life. While ethics panels rarely, if ever, would consent to studies on childhood sexuality, Bering examines anecdotal evidence of the influence of prepubescent sexual encounters on adult fetishes. In addition, she looks at experiments involving adult rats who were heavily drawn toward scents and tastes they were exposed to while suckling their mothers’ milk.