The Role of Sexual Arousal and Overperception of Sexual Intent Within the Decision to Engage in Sexual Coercion

Abstract

Sexual coercion is a significant problem on college campuses despite numerous attempts to better understand and prevent it. Some criminological research has examined the role of sexual arousal in decisions to use coercion and force, while psychologists have studied how overperception of sexual interest relates to coercive behaviors. The current study combines these two lines of research to examine whether sexual arousal increases the perception of sexual interest in a hypothetical coercion scenario. A sample of 387 college males were randomly placed into arousal and control conditions and asked to watch either erotic material or a lecture and complete questions regarding a common social dating scenario. Bivariate and multivariate results indicated significant relationships between sexual arousal and overperception of sexual intent with the decision to engage in sexually coercive behaviors, as well as a mediation effect. The implications for theory and sexual assault prevention are discussed.

Affect and Sexual Responsivity in Men With and Without a History of Sexual Aggression

“…The tendency for some men with a history of sexual aggression to overestimate a woman’s sexual interest is well documented (Abbey, 1982; Bondurant & Donat, 1999; Farris, Viken, & Treat, 2010; Shea, 1993). Positive correlations have also been found between men’s sexual arousal and the perception of women’s sexual interest (Bouffard & Miller, 2014; Maner et al, 2005; Murphy, Coleman, and Haynes, 1986). If men at increased risk of sexually aggressive behavior experience more frequent and/or higher levels of sexual arousal, as the current findings suggest, this may result in disrupted processing of social and sexual cues at the decoding stage and partially explain the decision to engage in sexual aggression.…”

“…When laboratory paradigms designed to measure men’s sexual aggression included a sexual arousal manipulation, aroused participants with and without histories of sexual aggression were more likely to endorse a variety of sexually coercive behaviors compared to their non-aroused counterparts (Bouffard & Miller, 2014; Davis et al, 2006; Hald & Malamuth, 2015; Lowenstein, Nager, and Paternoster, 1997; Spokes et al, 2014). …”

“…Because of the significant psychological, physical, and monetary costs associated with acts of sexual aggression, researchers have attempted to identify factors contributing to their occurrence. Studies suggest that a multitude of psychological, cultural, and contextual factors may contribute to the perpetration of sexual aggression, which includes the use of verbal coercion, drugs or alcohol, authority, or physical force to obtain sex from an unwilling partner (Abbey & Jacques-Tiura, 2011; Baumeister, Catanese, & Wallace, 2002; Bondurant & Donat, 1999; Bouffard & Miller, 2014; Loewenstein, Nagin, & Paternoster, 1997). Despite increased attention to this issue, research focused on non-incarcerated sexually aggressive vs. nonaggressive men is scarce.…”

“…Laboratory studies have documented a positive relationship between sexual arousal and sexual aggression in men with and without a history of aggression perpetration (Bouffard & Miller, 2014; Spokes et al, 2013). In studies that included manipulations of sexual arousal, convicted sexual offenders (Abel et al, 1977; Lalumière & Quinsey, 1994) and non-convicted men reporting use of sexually aggressive tactics (Marx, Gross, & Adams, 1999; Lohr, Adams, & Davis, 1997) have shown greater subjective and physiological sexual responses compared to nonaggressive men.…”

Decision to commit crime: rational or nonrational

“…Они обнаружили, что различные эмоции являются определяющими на различных стадиях процесса грабежа, при этом до и во время грабежа главенствующей эмоцией был страх, а после грабе-жа -радость. Исследуя студентов мужского и жен-ского пола, Bouffard [20] показал, что сексуальное возбуждение воспринимается ими как одно из субъек-тивных преимуществ принуждения при сексуальном контакте. Исследуя две группы студентов, Van Gelder, Reynald и Elffers [21] выявили, что под влиянием гнева испытуемые стремятся отомстить тому, кто, по их мнению, вызывал их гнев, даже если при этом они осознают несправедливость своей реакции или лишаются возможности достичь своей цели.…”