Victim Attractiveness and Perceptions of Responsiblity in an Ambiguous Rape Case

Jacobson, Marsha B.; Popovich, Paula M.

doi:10.1111/j.1471-6402.1983.tb00621.x

Cited by 43 publications

(33 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…Ambiguity seems to be a central factor when explaining gender differences in rape perceptions, with men perceiving the ambiguous rape as more consensual than women (Humphreys, 1993). These data are supported by studies suggesting the importance of perceptual ambiguity on attributions of responsibility (e.g., Jacobson & Popovich, 1983;Johnson et al, 1989). In real rape situations, observers are also given more information and there seems to be an increasing awareness of both females and males regarding the causes anales de psicología, 2016, vol.…”

Section: The Influence Of Eye Size and Observer Gender On Attributionsupporting

confidence: 72%

Judge me, judge me not: The role of eye size and observer gender on acquaintance rape

et al. 2015

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Título: Júzgame, no me juzgues: el rol del tamaño ocular y el género del observador en la violación por un conocido Resumen: El propósito de este estudio fue examinar el efecto del tamaño ocular y el género del observador en la atracción inicial percibida, honestidad, y atribuciones de responsabilidad en la violación. Se probó un diseño experimental 3 (tamaño del ojo: pequeño vs. normal vs. grande) x 2 (género del observador: masculino vs. femenino). Noventa participantes (45 mujeres y 45 hombres) observaron una de tres caras femeninas asignadas al azar (con manipulación del tamaño de los ojos), y puntuaron la honestidad y atractivo inicial. Entonces se les pidió que leyeran un escenario de violación por conocido con una mujer tradicional, puntuando la responsabilidad de la víctima y del agresor. Se demostró que el tamaño del ojo afecta a todas las variables del estudio: el rostro femenino con ojos grandes fue visto como más atractivo y honesto, se consideró menos responsable de su propia victimización, y el delincuente se vio como más responsable. El género se ha demostrado que afecta a la percepción de atracción inicial y a la responsabilidad de la víctima. Se discuten las implicaciones teóricas y prácticas Palabras clave: Violación por un conocido; tamaño de los ojos; género del observador; atribución de responsabilidad; atractivo; honestidad. Abstract:The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of eye size and observer gender on perceived initial attraction, honesty, and attributions of responsibility for rape. A 3 (eye size: small vs. normal vs. large) x 2 (observer gender: female vs. male) experimental design was tested. Ninety participants (45 women and 45 men) observed one of three randomly assigned female faces (with eye size manipulation), and rated initial attraction and honesty. They were then asked to read an acquaintance rape scenario with a traditional woman, rating the victim and perpetrator responsibility. Eye size was shown to affect all the study variables: the female face with large eyes was seen as more attractive and honest, was held less responsible for her own victimization, and the offender was held more responsible. Gender was proven to affect perceived initial attraction and victim responsibility. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed.

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Section: The Influence Of Eye Size and Observer Gender On Attributionsupporting

confidence: 72%

Judge me, judge me not: The role of eye size and observer gender on acquaintance rape

et al. 2015

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“…Judgements about the attacker show more consistency. Whenever differences have been found, attackers of the 'more attractive' victims have been viewed more harshly in terms of attribution of responsibility (Ferguson, Duthie & Graf, 1987), sentencing (Kanekar & Nazareth, 1988;Thornton, 1977), or guilt judgements (Deitz etal., 1984;Jacobson, 1981;Jacobson & Popovich, 1983). Deitz et al found the effect only when the victim was said to have resisted, which is consistent with the Jacobson results as the vignettes referred to a struggle.…”

Section: Victim Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 61%

“…There is thus some indication of sex differences. However, Gerdes, Dammann & Heilig (1988) and Jacobson & Popovich ( 1983) have produced inconsistent results regarding victim judgements, and the majority of studies have found no effect on victim blame. Judgements about the attacker show more consistency.…”

Section: Victim Characteristicsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Judgements about victims and attackers in depicted rapes: A review

Pollard¹

1992

British J Social Psychol

197

202

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This paper reviews the effects on subjects' judgements of a variety of factors that have been included in experimental depictions of rape. The focus is on attribution of responsibility or fault to the victim or attacker and related judgements, particularly regarding guilt and sanctions. Generally, females make more pro-victim judgements than do males, and people with non-traditional sex-role attitudes make more pro-victim judgements than do holders of more traditional views. Other factors covered are various victim characteristics, victim-attacker acquaintance, resistance, and victim attire and a range of behaviours prior to the attack. These are limits to generalization due to populations studied and methods used, and the observed effects of several factors are either minimal or inconsistent. However, some factors have reliable effects on judgements, which it is argued are explainable in terms of their link with traditional beliefs about women's rights and roles. Males have often been found to be more susceptible to these effects. In particular, it appears that if a female engages in any behaviour deemed to be 'incautious' that results in victimization then she may be perceived to be at fault, even though these behaviours would be 'legitimate' for males, and that prior romantic involvement with the attacker mitigates the perceived seriousness of, and may even be seen as supplying justification for, a sexual attack. The existence of these attitudes implies that rape may be tacitly condoned in many situations.

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“…Although the actual motivation may be nonsexual (e.g., hostility or domination; see Ellis, 1989), if jurors believe that the motivation is sexual, then the physical attractiveness of the putative victim may well be an issue. In simulated rape cases, researchers have found that the accused rapist of an attractive victim was more likely to be seen as guilty than was an accused rapist of an unattractive victim (Jacobson, 1981;Jacobson & Popovich, 1983). In a study that simulated a sexual harassment case in a business setting, both female and male participants, playing the role of a personnel director evaluating an allegation of sexual harassment, were more likely to believe that the incident was sexually motivated when the female victim was physically attractive than when she was not (Popovich et al, 1996).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Racial Bias in Decisions Made by Mock Jurors Evaluating a Case of Sexual Harassment

Wuensch

Campbell

Kesler

et al. 2002

The Journal of Social Psychology

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White (N = 161) and Black (N = 152) college students served as mock jurors in a simulated civil case in which a female plaintiff accused a male defendant of sexual harassment. The authors experimentally manipulated the race (Black or White) of the litigants and asked the mock jurors to decide whether the defendant was guilty; to rate the certainty of their belief in the defendant's guilt; and, when they judged the defendant guilty, to recommend an award to the plaintiff. Mock jurors of both races tended to favor litigants of their own race and their own gender. Racial bias was highest among White male jurors and lowest among White female jurors.

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Victim Attractiveness and Perceptions of Responsiblity in an Ambiguous Rape Case

Cited by 43 publications

References 14 publications

Judge me, judge me not: The role of eye size and observer gender on acquaintance rape

Judge me, judge me not: The role of eye size and observer gender on acquaintance rape

Judgements about victims and attackers in depicted rapes: A review

Racial Bias in Decisions Made by Mock Jurors Evaluating a Case of Sexual Harassment

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