Women’s Judgments of a Sexual Assault Scenario: The Role of Prejudicial Attitudes and Victim Weight

We investigated the effect of the desirability of the defendant and the cost of a date on how participants assigned blame in a date rape context. Community participants ( N = 211) read one of four date rape trial summaries that differed based on the two manipulated independent variables: the desirability of the defendant (i.e., high vs. low desirability) and the cost of the date (i.e., expensive [US$175] vs. inexpensive [US$30]). Participants then rated the victim and defendant on various attributes related to the trial (credibility, blame, and guilt) and post-date sexual behavior (expectations, want, and deservingness of sex). Overall, men viewed the victim more negatively and the defendant more positively than women. Participants in the high defendant desirability condition also viewed the victim as having higher want of sex following the date and rated the defendant as more credible. With regard to the cost of date manipulation, men viewed the defendant as more credible when a desirable defendant paid for an inexpensive date in comparison with an undesirable defendant. However, when the date was expensive, women viewed the desirable defendant as more credible than the undesirable defendant. Finally, we also found that participants' perceptions of the victim's expectations and want for sex and the defendant's deservingness for sex mediated the effects of participant gender and defendant desirability on victim and defendant blame.

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Great Sexpectations: The Impact of Participant Gender, Defendant Desirability, and Date Cost on Attributions of a Date Rape Victim and Defendant

Lynch

Jewell

Wasarhaley

et al. 2017

“…Research on rape myth acceptance and the attribution of blame in rape scenarios can be loosely divided, based on the variables of interest, into three meaningful categories: (a) victim characteristics (e.g., Davies & Rogers, 2006; Grubb & Turner, 2012), (b) perpetrator characteristics (e.g., Bell, Kuriloff, & Lottes, 1994; Clarke & Lawson, 2009), and (c) observer characteristics (e.g., van der Bruggen & Grubb, 2014; White & Kurpius, 2002). We will discuss research regarding each of these categories in turn.…”

Section: Sexual Assault Vignette Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…First, characteristics of the victim, including gender, adherence to traditional gender roles, alcohol use, and appearance (including weight, attractiveness, and attire), all influence the amount of blame that victim receives (Clarke & Lawson, 2009; Davies & Rogers, 2006; Davies, Rogers, & Whitelegg, 2009; Davies, Smith, & Rogers, 2009; Deitz, Littman, & Bentley, 1984; Grubb & Turner, 2012; Howard, 2003; Kelly, 2009; Maurer & Robinson, 2008; van der Bruggen & Grubb, 2014; Wakelin & Long, 2003; Workman & Freeburg, 1999). Importantly for this project, there is also research on the effect of the victim’s sexuality.…”

Section: Sexual Assault Vignette Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Interaction Between Observer Sex and Sexual Identity on Attributions of Blame With a Heterosexual Female Victim

Diamond-Welch

Mann

Bass

et al. 2017

This article examines the difference in blame attribution between men and women, heterosexuals and homosexuals, and heterosexual males, heterosexual females, gay males, and lesbians in response to a vignette depicting the acquaintance rape of a heterosexual female ( n = 177). While the levels of empathy for the victim and blaming of the perpetrator were high for every group and blaming of the victim and rape myth acceptance were low for every group, some important trends emerged. Consistent with previous research, women reported higher rates of empathy for the victim, lower rape myth acceptance, and lower victim blaming than did men. Men and homosexuals had higher rates of victim blaming and were more likely to excuse the perpetrator's behavior than were women and heterosexuals, respectively. Lesbians had various patterns where they were at times more similar to heterosexual males (e.g., how much they blamed the perpetrator) or heterosexual females (e.g. in terms of empathy levels). They were consistently different from gay males. Further, the majority of differences were attributed to gay males, who had the highest levels of victim blaming and empathy for the perpetrator, were the most likely to excuse the perpetrator's behavior, and had the highest rate of rape myth acceptance of all of the groups. We conclude that sex and sexual identity interact to shape attributions about rape and discuss avenues for future research to explore these patterns.

“…There are few studies that have investigated the effects of obesity on secondary victimization. For instance, researchers found that the effects of rape myth acceptance and anti-fat attitudes influence others' attitudes toward rape victims (Clarke & Lawson, 2009;Clarke & Stermac, 2011). They found that participants rated the victim more negatively and the perpetrator more positively when the victim was obese verses thin.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Effects of Obesity Myths on Perceptions of Sexual Assault Victims and Perpetrators’ Credibility

Yamawaki

Riley

Rasmussen

et al. 2015

This study investigated the effects of obesity myths on blame attribution and the perceived credibility of both an alleged sexual assault victim and her perpetrator. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three sexual assault scenarios (in which either the victim or the perpetrator was described as obese and one in which both were described as obese) and responded to questions measuring the blame attribution and perceived the credibility of both individuals. A main effect of scenario was found on the perpetrator's credibility, indicating that participants rated the obese perpetrator as more credible when the victim was obese in comparison with when the victim was nonobese. However, no main effect of scenario was found on the victim's credibility and blame attribution, denoting that the victim's or perpetrator's weight did not influence participants' perceptions of the victim's credibility or blame attribution. The belief in obesity myths was the most significant predictor of victim blaming. However, differing patterns of the effects of obesity myths were found on the victim's credibility and the perpetrator's credibility. The belief in obesity myths was a significant predictor only when the victim was obese, whereas it was not a significant predictor in the scenarios where both the victim and the perpetrator were obese or the perpetrator was obese and the victim was nonobese. As for the perpetrator's credibility, the belief of obesity myths was not a significant predictor. Instead, the scenario was a significant predictor. Implications of obesity-myth endorsement in relation to sexual assault are discussed.