Publication Date

2017

Document Type

Dissertation/Thesis

First Advisor

Sagarin, Brad J., 1966-

Degree Name

Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy)

Legacy Department

Department of Psychology

LCSH

Social psychology; Clinical psychology; Psychology; Law; Criminology

Abstract

Previous research has indicated a consistent link between rape myth acceptance and sexual assault victim blaming, where individuals reporting higher levels of rape myth acceptance also report higher levels of victim blaming. To this point, however, this relationship has only been explored correlationally. The current studies were designed to test whether participants, if presented with rape myth information or with accurate information about rape, would report higher levels of victim blaming or lower levels of victim blaming, respectively. In six studies, I manipulated victim and assailant gender (Studies 1a, 1b, and 2: female victim, male assailant; Studies 3a, 3b, and 4: male victim, female assailant) and rape myth information (Studies 1a and 1b: women often lie about rape; Studies 2 and 4: real rape is perpetrated by strangers and is violent; Studies 3a and 3b: men's erections signal consent). Participants read scenarios of a sexual assault case and were randomly assigned to a control condition, a rape myth information condition, or an accurate information condition; they also reported their level of rape myth acceptance (congruent with the gender of victim). Across all studies, there were no consistent effects of condition, though participants' rape myth acceptance often predicted the dependent variables. Moderation analyses indicated that in some cases, rape myth acceptance moderated the relationship between condition and dependent variable. I discuss the implications for the lack of effects of the manipulations, particularly in light of designing interventions to reduce sexual violence.

Comments

Advisors: Brad Sagarin.||Committee members: Lacie Barber; Amanda Durik; Michelle Lilly; Kristen Myers; John Skowronski.||Includes bibliographical references.||Includes illustrations.

Extent

v, 108 pages

Language

eng

Publisher

Northern Illinois University

Rights Statement

In Copyright

Rights Statement 2

NIU theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from Huskie Commons for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without the written permission of the authors.

Media Type

Text

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