Abstract
Two studies were conducted to determine whether sadists (dominants), masochists (submissives) and versatiles (those who state that they enjoy both the sadistic and masochistic roles) possess similar or different attitudes toward control, as measured by Rotter's Internal vs External Locus of Control Inventory and Burger and Cooper's Desirability of Control inventory. Sadomasochists, as a group, scored within the internal locus of control category. There were no differences among the three subgroups. The second study indicated all three groups possess a high desire for control. Planned comparisons among the three groups showed sadists had a higher desire for control than versatiles, while versatiles showed a higher desire for control than masochists. The data are interpreted as support for observational and descriptive studies which have identified (at least) three distinct subgroups of sadomasochists.
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