Publication Date
2025
Document Type
Dissertation/Thesis
First Advisor
Sagarin, Brad J.
Degree Name
Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy)
Legacy Department
Department of Psychology
Abstract
Benign masochism describes the tendency for individuals to seek discomfort for enjoyment andis frequently measured by the self-reported enjoyment of various experiences thought to involve mild levels of discomfort. Although research suggests individuals engage in uncomfortable experiences because they enjoy discomfort, research on benign masochism rarely considers other motivations individuals might have. Pilot testing (N = 81), exploratory factor analysis (N = 442), and confirmatory factor analysis (N = 363) were conducted using three rounds of data collection using U.S. participants on CloudResearch’s Connect platform, resulting in a 28-item scale for benign masochism. Six factors—benign masochism, identity, limitations, affiliation, growth, and entertainment (the MILAGE Scale)—are represented in the scale. The MILAGE Scale and its subscales were highly reliability (i.e., α > .80) and correlated highly and positively (i.e., r > .38) with other measures of benign masochism and a measure of sensation seeking. Additionally, the MILAGE Scale was less related (i.e., r < .30) with measures of personality and negative affect valuation. The MILAGE Scale demonstrated configural and metric invariance across gender but showed evidence of scalar noninvariance. Although additional work relating to validation and measurement invariance is needed, the MILAGE Scale provides insight into why individuals may seek discomfort and demonstrates great potential as a tool to further our understanding of benign masochism.
Recommended Citation
Gibson, Cody T., "Hurts So Good: an Exploration of Benign Masochism and Other Motivations toward Discomfort" (2025). Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations. 8055.
https://huskiecommons.lib.niu.edu/allgraduate-thesesdissertations/8055
Extent
179 pages
Language
en
Publisher
Northern Illinois University
Rights Statement
In Copyright
Rights Statement 2
NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.
Media Type
Text
