WESTERMARCK Meaning and
Definition
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Westermarck refers to a social psychological concept named after the Finnish philosopher and sociologist Edvard Westermarck. Westermarck hypothesis or the Westermarck effect is a theory that suggests that individuals who grow up together during their early years develop a psychological aversion to sexual attraction towards one another. This phenomenon is believed to be a result of a biological mechanism that prevents incestuous relationships within a family or close-knit community.
According to the theory, this effect occurs due to an innate unconscious recognition of individuals as siblings, promoting an unconscious sense of disgust or lack of desire for a sexual relationship with these individuals. Westermarck's theory emphasizes the importance of early childhood socialization in shaping human sexual attraction and relationship patterns.
The term "Westermarck" can also be used to refer to the entire process of the Westermarck effect, wherein individuals who have been raised together from a young age develop feelings of repulsion towards any romantic or sexual relationship between them later in life. This psychological mechanism is considered to be a fundamental instinctual behavior that has evolved to prevent incestuous relationships and to foster the stability of social groups.
Overall, Westermarck refers to both the hypothesis and the effect, demonstrating the influence of early socialization on the development of sexual attraction and relationship preferences in humans.
