Seduction

Not to be confused with Subduction.
For other uses, see Seduction (disambiguation). For the painting by Magritte, see The Seducer.
"Seduced" redirects here. For the documentary, see Seduced: Inside the NXIVM Cult.
Don Juan in Mozart's opera Don Giovanni, a painting by Max Slevogt

In sexuality, seduction means enticing someone else into sexual intercourse or other sexual activity. Strategies of seduction include conversation and sexual scripts,[1] paralingual features,[2] non-verbal communication,[3][4] and short-term behavioural strategies.[5]

The word seduction stems from Latin and means, literally, 'leading astray'.[6] As a result, the term may have a negative connotation. Seen negatively, seduction involves temptation and enticement, often sexual in nature, to coerce someone into a behavioural choice they would not have made if they were not in a state of sexual arousal. Seen positively, seduction is synonymous for the act of charming someone—male or female—by an appeal to the senses, often with the goal of reducing unfounded fears and leading to "sexual emancipation". Some sides in contemporary academic debate state that the morality of seduction depends on the long-term impacts on the individuals concerned, rather than the act itself, and may not necessarily carry the negative connotations expressed in dictionary definitions.[7]

Famous seducers from history or legend include Lilith, Giacomo Casanova, and the fictional character Don Juan. The emergence of the internet and technology has supported the availability and the existence of a seduction community, which is based on discourse about seduction. This is predominantly by "pickup artists" (PUA). Seduction is also used within marketing to increase compliance and willingness.[8]

  1. ^ Littleton, H. L. & Axsom, D. (2003). "Rape and seduction scripts of university students: Implications for rape attributions and unacknowledged rape". Sex Roles. 49 (9–10): 465–475. doi:10.1023/A:1025824505185. S2CID 146523271.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference :5 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference :8 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Glare, P. G. (1982). Oxford Latin dictionary. Clarendon Press. Oxford University Press.
  7. ^ Abbey, A. (1982). "Sex differences in attributions for friendly behavior: Do males misperceive females' friendliness?". Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 42 (5): 830–838. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.42.5.830.
  8. ^ Deighton, J. & Grayson, K. (1995). "Marketing and seduction: Building exchange relationships by managing social consensus". Journal of Consumer Research. 21 (4): 660–676. doi:10.1086/209426.