Sexually Aggressive Men's Responses to a Date Rape Analogue: Alcohol as a Disinhibiting Cue.Alcohol consumption has been implicated im·pli·cate tr.v. im·pli·cat·ed, im·pli·cat·ing, im·pli·cates 1. To involve or connect intimately or incriminatingly: evidence that implicates others in the plot. 2. as a significant factor in the commission of sexual violence. Previous research has linked alcohol to sexual aggression in dating situations, with more than half of such instances involving either the male perpetrator A term commonly used by law enforcement officers to designate a person who actually commits a crime. or the female victim being under the influence (e.g., Abbey, 1991; Harrington & Leitenberg, 1994; Miller & Marshall, 1987). In a comparison study of college students on sexually coercive co·er·cive adj. Characterized by or inclined to coercion. co·er  cive·ly adv. and noncoercive dates,
Muehelenhard and Linton (1987) found that coercive dates were more
likely to involve heavy alcohol consumption by the perpetrator and the
victim. Likewise, in a national study of sexual aggression and
victimization victimization Social medicine The abuse of the disenfranchised–eg, those underage, elderly, ♀, mentally retarded, illegal aliens, or other, by coercing them into illegal activities–eg, drug trade, pornography, prostitution. among college students, Koss, Gidycz, and Wisniewski
(1987) found that 74% of perpetrators and 55% of victims of rape had
been drinking alcohol prior to the incident.Though numerous studies have documented the relationship between alcohol consumption and sexual aggression, fewer empirical studies Empirical studies in social sciences are when the research ends are based on evidence and not just theory. This is done to comply with the scientific method that asserts the objective discovery of knowledge based on verifiable facts of evidence. have been conducted in this area (Seto & Barbaree, 1995). Attributional research has demonstrated that college men and women attribute less responsibility for sexual aggression to male offenders and more responsibility to female victims when vignette Vignette A symbol or pictorial representation of the corporation on a stock certificate. Usually a complicated and artistic design, it is meant to make the counterfeiting of stock certificates as difficult as possible. characters are portrayed as drunk (e.g., Richardson & Campbell, 1982). In one study, Norris and Cubbins (1992) had male and female college students read a vignette of a date ending in rape. The authors found that men and women were more likely to view the sexually aggressive sexually aggressive adjective Relating to potentially violent behavior focused on gratification of sexual drives, regardless of the desire for participation on the part of the partner. See Sexually dangerous. episode as consensual CONSENSUAL, civil law. This word is applied to designate one species of contract known in the civil laws; these contracts derive their name from the consent of the parties which is required in their formation, as they cannot exist without such consent. 2. when the characters were portrayed as drinking alcohol than when they were described as sober. Shively (1995) had college students read date rape date rape n. forcible sexual intercourse by a male acquaintance of a woman, during a voluntary social engagement in which the woman did not intend to submit to the sexual advances and resisted the acts by verbal refusals, denials or pleas to stop, and/or physical vignettes and manipulated, among other factors, the vignette characters' level of alcohol consumption. Shively found men and women judged the male character as significantly more likely to continue his sexual advances when he was described as drinking heavily than when he was described as not drinking. In another study, Norris and Kerr (1993) demonstrated that the presence of character alcohol consumption in the context of violent pornography acted as a permissive permissive adj. 1) referring to any act which is allowed by court order, legal procedure, or agreement. 2) tolerant or allowing of others' behavior, suggesting contrary to others' standards. PERMISSIVE. cue for men's acceptance of forced sexual behavior sexual behavior A person's sexual practices–ie, whether he/she engages in heterosexual or homosexual activity. See Sex life, Sexual life. and increased self-reported likelihood of engaging in similar behavior. Collectively, these studies suggest that alcohol consumption may mitigate the responsibility of blame for date rape and serve as a disinhibiting cue for men to behave in a sexually aggressive manner. While situational factors, such as alcohol consumption, may increase the likelihood of sexual aggression, most researchers contend that sexual aggression is a multidetermined phenomenon, resulting from a convergence of dispositional, cognitive, and situational factors (e.g., Craig, 1990; Malamuth, Sockloskie, Koss, & Tanaka, 1991). Descriptive studies show that compared to their less aggressive peers, sexually aggressive men typically view relationships with women as hostile and adversarial ad·ver·sar·i·al adj. Relating to or characteristic of an adversary; involving antagonistic elements: "the chasm between management and labor in this country, an often needlessly adversarial . . . , have a more promiscuous and impersonal orientation toward sex (Malamuth, Linz, Heavy, & Acker, 1995), and show greater arousal arousal /arous·al/ (ah-rou´z'l) 1. a state of responsiveness to sensory stimulation or excitability. 2. the act or state of waking from or as if from sleep. 3. to depictions of forced intercourse (Bernat, 1997; Lohr, Adams, & Davis, 1997). Social information processing information processing: see data processing. information processing Acquisition, recording, organization, retrieval, display, and dissemination of information. Today the term usually refers to computer-based operations. and judgments of sexual interactions are further influenced by aggressive men's rape supportive cognitions (e.g., Bernat, Wilson, & Calhoun, 1997). For example, in a laboratory study, Malamuth and Brown (1994) investigated three explanations of why sexually aggressive men misperceive mis·per·ceive tr.v. mis·per·ceived, mis·per·ceiv·ing, mis·per·ceives To perceive incorrectly; misunderstand. mis women's communications, concluding that aggressive men are guided by a suspicious schema in their interactions with women which causes them to mistrust and/or dismiss women's reactions, especially when they are strong or indicative of negative emotion negative emotion Any adverse emotion–eg, anger, envy, cynicism, sarcasm, etc. Cf Positive emotion. . In the sexual arena, this suspicious schema may bias sexually aggressive men's perceptions that women are dishonest or do not tell the truth when it comes to sex, and this non-veridical communication style is perceived to be typical of women in general. Accordingly, women's verbal refusal cues ("no" responses) are discounted and/or interpreted as seductive se·duc·tive adj. Tending to seduce; alluring: "his sad and fastidious but ever seductive Irish voice" John Fowles. teasing teasing the act of parading a male before a female to see if she displays estrus, and is therefore in a state where mating is likely to be fertile. rather than honest communication, resulting in persistent unwanted sexual advances (Malamuth & Brown, 1994). Indirect corroborating evidence corroborating evidence n. evidence which strengthens, adds to, or confirms already existing evidence. for a suspicious schema explanation during sexual decision-making was revealed through the findings of Bernat, Wilson and Calhoun (in press). Employing an innovative decision-latency paradigm (Marx & Gross, 1995), they asked sexually aggressive and nonaggressive college men to listen to an audio tape simulation of a date rape, during which initial sexual contact was consensual and cues of the man's force and the woman's nonconsent increased over time. Participants were instructed to press a button if and when they believed that the man in the vignette should refrain from making further sexual advances. To minimize curiosity about the outcome, participants also were instructed that the tape would continue until the interaction was completed. Sexually aggressive men who reported a cognitive style Cognitive style is a term used in cognitive psychology to describe the way individuals think, perceive and remember information, or their preferred approach to using such information to solve problems. that distrusted women and justified interpersonal violence (i.e., calloused cal·lous adj. 1. Having calluses; toughened: callous skin on the elbow. 2. Emotionally hardened; unfeeling: a callous indifference to the suffering of others. sexual beliefs) took significantly longer to stop the date rape than either sexually aggressive men without this rape supportive cognitive set or nonaggressive men, who did not differ significantly on decision-making. Laboratory judgments also corresponded with naturalistic nat·u·ral·is·tic adj. 1. Imitating or producing the effect or appearance of nature. 2. Of or in accordance with the doctrines of naturalism. decisions as the sexually aggressive group was nearly 3 1/2 times more likely than the nonaggressive group to delay stopping the tape until it reached intervals containing verbal threats and forced intercourse within the scenario. Although this study did not manipulate character alcohol consumption per se, it suggests that dispositional and cognitive factors Noun 1. cognitive factor - something immaterial (as a circumstance or influence) that contributes to producing a result cognition, knowledge, noesis - the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning , such as sexual aggression history and rape supportive cognitions, are important determinants of judgments and decisions in sexual encounters. The purpose of the present study was to extend research on how college men judge sexual advances in a progressively non-consensual audio tape date rape analogue. Using the methodology employed by Bernat et. al (in press), dispositional and situational factors were examined, with self-identified sexually aggressive and nonaggressive college men sampled and the situational dating context manipulated to include both vignette character alcohol consumption and no alcohol conditions. Based on previous research (e.g., Bernat et al., in press), we hypothesized that the sexually aggressive group would take significantly longer to stop the date rape than the nonaggressive group, indicating their acceptance of a higher level of sexual aggression. Furthermore, we hypothesized that men who read that the male and female characters had consumed alcohol before their date would take significantly longer to stop sexual advances than men who did not receive this permissive situational cue. Consistent with a multivariate The use of multiple variables in a forecasting model. perspective, on-line judgments were anticipated to be conjointly con·joint adj. 1. Joined together; combined: "social order and prosperity, the conjoint aims of government" John K. Fairbank. 2. influenced by situational and dispositional factors. Thus, we hypothesized that the sexually aggressive group receiving the alcohol cue manipulation would exhibit the longest latencies, allowing the date rape to continue significantly longer than all other groups. Additionally, this study examined whether sexually aggressive men processed information according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. a suspicious schema. Consistent with the research of Malamuth and Brown (1994), we predicted that sexually aggressive men would rate the woman's communication more suspiciously after listening to the date rape scenario. Specifically, we hypothesized that relatively more aggressive men would rate the woman as less honest in expressing her true feelings about wanting to have sex, resulting in overestimations in judgments of how much she really wanted to have sex. Additionally, we anticipated that relatively more aggressive men would rate the woman's disingenuous dis·in·gen·u·ous adj. 1. Not straightforward or candid; insincere or calculating: "an ambitious, disingenuous, philistine, and hypocritical operator, who ... exemplified ... behavior as typical of the way most women act in a similar situation (i.e., it is typical of women to be dishonest about their intentions to have sex). Finally, we hypothesized that the magnitude of these relationships would be stronger given a more permissive situational context in which the characters had consumed alcohol. METHOD Screening of Sexual Aggression Sexually aggressive behavior was assessed by two self-report measures, the Sexual Experiences Survey (SES; Koss et al., 1987) and the Aggressive Sexual Behavior Inventory (ASBI ASBI American Segmental Bridge Institute ; Mosher A mosher is a person who is crossed between goth/punk/skater they have long hair and listen to music like slipknot and metal music. Some people call them headbangers. At certain music shows they have something called a mosh pit, basically its a fight pit with loads of people bashing each other. and Anderson, 1986). The SES is a 10-item self-report scale that assesses a continuum of sexual aggression, including the perpetration per·pe·trate tr.v. per·pe·trat·ed, per·pe·trat·ing, per·pe·trates To be responsible for; commit: perpetrate a crime; perpetrate a practical joke. of unwanted sexual activity or sexual intercourse sexual intercourse or coitus or copulation Act in which the male reproductive organ enters the female reproductive tract (see reproductive system). against a woman by means of verbal arguments and psychological pressure, the misuse of a position of authority, the use of alcohol and drugs, threats of force, or actual physical force. An example of an item is "I have had sexual intercourse with a woman when she did not want to by using some degree of physical force (e.g., twisting her arm, holding her down, etc.)." The frequency of each behavior is assessed since the age of 14 on a 6-point Likert scale Likert scale A subjective scoring system that allows a person being surveyed to quantify likes and preferences on a 5-point scale, with 1 being the least important, relevant, interesting, most ho-hum, or other, and 5 being most excellent, yeehah important, etc (0 if the participant never committed the act, 1 if only once and so forth, up to a maximum of 5 if the participant committed the act 5 or more times). Individual item frequencies are summed to form a composite index Composite Index A grouping of equities, indexes or other factors combined in a standardized way, providing a useful statistical measure of overall market or sector performance over time. Also known simply as a "composite". of sexual aggression. Koss and Gidycz (1985) have presented data supporting the reliability and validity of this scale. The ASBI is a 20-item scale that assesses a continuum of sexually aggressive behavior including the use of sexual force, physical threats, verbal manipulation, drugs and alcohol, anger rejection, and anger expression, to obtain unwanted sexual activity. An example of an item is "I have brought a woman to my place after a date and forced her to have sex with me." The frequency of each behavior is assessed on a 7-point Likert scale. A total frequency score is computed by summing individual item frequencies. Mosher and Anderson (1986) provided reliability data and factor analyzed Verb 1. factor analyze - to perform a factor analysis of correlational data factor analyse analyse, analyze - break down into components or essential features; "analyze today's financial market" the original 33-item scale, resulting in the 20-item measure. The positive correlation Noun 1. positive correlation - a correlation in which large values of one variable are associated with large values of the other and small with small; the correlation coefficient is between 0 and +1 direct correlation between the ASBI and the SES, r (102) = .49, p [is less than] .001, suggests these scales are tapping related, albeit moderately orthogonal At right angles. The term is used to describe electronic signals that appear at 90 degree angles to each other. It is also widely used to describe conditions that are contradictory, or opposite, rather than in parallel or in sync with each other. , aspects of sexually aggressive behavior. Participants Participants were 102 heterosexual male volunteers recruited from the Psychology Department research participant pool at a large southeastern university For the Florida institution, see . Southeastern University has a total enrollment of about 867. About 77% are locally based[4], and a majority are female, but there is also a significant international enrollment consisting of students from over 50 countries, including West . The average age of the participants was 20.1 years (SD = 1.9, range: 18 to 28). The majority of participants were Caucasian (79.2%), with African American African American Multiculture A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa. See Race. (16.7%), Asian American A·sian A·mer·i·can also A·sian-A·mer·i·can n. A U.S. citizen or resident of Asian descent. See Usage Note at Amerasian. A (1.7%), Hispanic (1.2%), and Native American (1.2%) participants comprising the remainder of the sample. Twenty-nine percent of participants were college freshman, 30.7% were sophomores, 20.8% were juniors, and 18.8% were seniors. Seventy-three percent were single, 24.7% were in a committed or dating relationship, and 2% were married. Group assignment was determined on the basis of responses on the SES and the ASBI. Participants were classified as sexually aggressive (n = 54) if they endorsed affirmative responses to any items on either the SES or the ASBI. Participants were classified as nonaggressive (n = 48) if they did not endorse any items on the SES and the ASBI. Sexually aggressive men reported an average of 1.5 (SD = 2.2) aggressive acts on the SES and 5.7 (SD = 4.9) aggressive acts on the ASBI. For correlational analyses, sexually aggressive behavior was computed by summing individual item frequencies on the ASBI and the SES, computing z-scores, and then summing standardized standardized pertaining to data that have been submitted to standardization procedures. standardized morbidity rate see morbidity rate. standardized mortality rate see mortality rate. measures to create a composite index of sexually aggressive behavior. Audio Tape Date Rape The date rape stimulus, developed by Marx and Gross (1995), consisted of an audio tape depiction of a man and a woman engaged in sexual activity. The couple was described as two college students returning to the man's apartment after a date at the movies. Physical intimacy “Caress” redirects here. For other uses, see Caress (disambiguation). Physical intimacy is informal proximity and/or touching. It can be enjoyed by itself and/or be an expression between the couple was portrayed through dialogue and audible breathing and kissing sounds. The scenario depicted conversation and sexual activity leading to sexual intercourse. The man used verbal persuasion, argumentation, verbal threats, and then physical force to obtain intercourse. Initially, the woman's reactions were ambiguous, with verbal refusals and resistance beginning at 80 seconds. The woman's refusals escalate es·ca·late v. es·ca·lat·ed, es·ca·lat·ing, es·ca·lates v.tr. To increase, enlarge, or intensify: escalated the hostilities in the Persian Gulf. v.intr. in intensity (e.g., reasoning, refusing, pleading, crying) over time in response to further sexual advances (see Table 1). The total running time of the tape is 390 seconds. Marx and Gross (1995) have provided data supporting the validity of this scenario. Table 1. Correspondence Between Latency and Aggressive Sexual Behavior That has Transpired During the Audio Tape Date
SEGMENT TIME TAPE
1: MUTUAL 0-31 seconds Conversation about date
INTERACTION 33 Mutual kissing
(W) "Kiss me ... You really
know how to show a girl a
good time ... Kiss me"
67 (M) "You have a hot
body ... I have to move
closer to you.... You
73 drive me wild."
Mutual kissing.
2: MILD 78 (M) "I want to touch your
PRESSURE breast"
AND POLITE (W) "No, don't do that"
REFUSALS (M) "You really turn me on"
(W) "Kiss me"
Mutual kissing.
98 (W) "I'd like you to
touch my chest, but not
right now."
114 (M) "Sorry. It won't
happen again. I just lost
control."
120 "Now come here and kiss
me"
125 Mutual kissing
3: MODERATE 137 (W) "Haven't you been
VERBAL listening? I just told
PRESSURE you not to touch my chest
REFUSALS and you touch my butt."
147 (W) "I want our
relationship to be based
on something more than
just sex."
154 (W) "Don't you understand?"
165 (M) "I need it now. It's
important to me"
171 (M) "I know you want to
sleep with me"
187 (W) "No!"....
(W) "I knew you would
understand.
195 Come here." (Attempts at
conciliation)
4: VERBAL 207 (W) "Get your hands out
THREATS of my pants!" "Don't you
AND ADAMANT dare touch me."
REFUSALS 214 (M) "I might have to stop
seeing you!"
218 (M) "Why don't we just
remove these jeans
because that would make
things a lot easier!"
230 (W) "No! We're not going
to have sex!"
240 (M) "You are nothing but
a tease!"
255 (W) "Don't be upset with
me. I care about you,
but I think we should
just slow down."
269 (W) "Hold me."
(Attempts at conciliation).
5: FORCED 288 (M) "You know you want
SEX it. "Don't push it Jenny!
294 I don't want to have to
hurt you"
306 (W) Distressed and crying
"These pants are coming
off and you're going to
f--k me! ... You know you
want it."
315 (W) "Get off me." "No
stop it!"
30 (Woman is crying and
pleading)
345-370 Rape ensues
380-90 (W) "I can't believe you
raped me."
(M) "It wasn't rape. I
didn't rape you."
Note. (W) denotes the woman's dialogue on the tape; (M) denotes man's dialogue on the tape. Response Measures Decision latency was recorded as the amount of time lapse between the start of the audio tape and the pressing by participants of a computer key that signaled when the man depicted on the audio tape should refrain from making further sexual advances (cf. Bernat et al., in press; Marx & Gross, 1995). Latencies were recorded in seconds by a reaction-time program on an IBM-compatible microcomputer activated by the pressing of the key. The audio tape and reaction timer was activated simultaneously by an experimenter who was removed from the participant by a dividing wall. Bernat, Stolp, Calhoun, and Adams (1997) have presented data supporting the reliability and validity of this measure. Ratings of Woman's Communication After listening to the entire date rape sequence, participants completed a post-experimental questionnaire assessing their ratings of the woman's communication during the sexual encounter. Participants were asked "how honest was the woman in expressing her true feelings about having sex?" (honesty), "how much did the woman really want to have sex with the man?" (desire to have sex), and "how much do you believe the woman acted the way most women would act in this situation?" (typicality). Respective items were anchored on a 7-point Likert scale from 1 (Acted nothing like most women, completely dishonest, and not at all) to 7 (Acted completely like most women, completely honest, and completely wanted sex). Procedure Participants signed an informed consent form and completed self-report measures in a large group format. Approximately one to two weeks later, participants were contacted by telephone and asked if they would like to participate in the experimental portion of the study. They were told the study involved listening to an audiotape au·di·o·tape n. 1. A relatively narrow magnetic tape used to record sound for subsequent playback. 2. A tape recording of sound. tr.v. and making decisions about a sexual interaction, and that they would receive research participation credit. Relatively few (n = 15) declined to participate. Informed consent was obtained from participants on arrival. They were accompanied to a separate cubicle (located behind a dividing wall that separated the experimenter from the participant) and seated at a desk that contained the keyboard and headphones Head-mounted speakers. Headphones have a strap that rests on top of the head, positioning a pair of speakers over both ears. For listening to music or monitoring live performances and audio tracks, both left and right channels are required. . Participants were provided with written instructions like those used by Marx and Gross (1995), indicating they would be listening to an audio tape of a sexual interaction between two college students who had just returned to the man's apartment after a date. The couple was described as having been on five dates prior to this occasion but never having had sex. Depending on the condition to which they were randomly assigned, participants were instructed: Alcohol Condition: On their date, Jenny and Dan went out to the movies and then out drinking. They had several drinks and reported feeling pretty "buzzed." No Alcohol Condition: On their date, Jenny and Dan went out to dinner and the movies. Participants were then given the following instructions: You are now to listen to the couple as they have just returned to the man's apartment. Your task is to listen to the tape and signal, by pressing the button in front of you, at the point when you believe the man should absolutely stop from making any further sexual advances. If you do not believe the man should absolutely stop his sexual advances, then do not press the button. Regardless of whether you decide to press the button or not, you will continue to listen to the entire interaction from start to finish. After listening to the audio tape date rape, participants completed the post-experimental questionnaire. Following the questionnaire, participants were provided with a modified copy of the Check and Malamuth (1984) debriefing de·brief·ing n. 1. The act or process of debriefing or of being debriefed. 2. The information imparted during the process of being debriefed. Noun 1. statement, thanked, and dismissed. This debriefing statement has been shown to have an educational impact on participant's attitudes toward rape in studies using rape depictions (Malamuth & Check, 1984). RESULTS Decisions To Terminate the Date Rape A 2 x 2 (Group, Alcohol Condition) analysis of variance was conducted on the decision-latency measure.(1) There was a main effect of group, F (1, 98) = 11.35, p [is less than] .001, [Eta.sup.2] = .10, indicating the sexually aggressive group took significantly longer (M = 172.86; SD = 44.9) than the nonaggressive group (M = 146.54; SD = 35.4) to signify the man depicted in the scenario should refrain from further sexual advances. The audio tape was divided into time segments corresponding to the level of aggressive sexual behavior transpiring tran·spire v. tran·spired, tran·spir·ing, tran·spires v.tr. To give off (vapor containing waste products) through the pores of the skin or the stomata of plant tissue. v.intr. 1. within the scenario, beginning with the woman's initial verbal protests and ending with the completion of forced sexual intercourse. Table 1 presents these segments and concomitant concomitant /con·com·i·tant/ (kon-kom´i-tant) accompanying; accessory; joined with another. concomitant adjective Accompanying, accessory, joined with another textual material. The nonaggressive group, on average, indicated that the man should terminate sexual advances after the woman's third verbal protest, which was more direct and forceful than her previous refusals (see Table 1). The sexually aggressive group, on average, signified sig·ni·fied n. Linguistics The concept that a signifier denotes. [Translation of French signifié, past participle of signifier, to signify.] Noun 1. that sexual advances should stop during the latter point of segment 3, after the man used further verbal pressure and argumentation and the woman's verbal refusals intensified. There was a main effect of alcohol condition, F (1, 98) = 3.76, p = .05, [Eta.sup.2] = .04, indicating that men who were told that the story characters had consumed alcohol allowed the date rape to continue longer (M = 168.55; SD = 47.1) than men who did not receive this permissive cue (M = 152.40; SD = 36.2). Both main effects were qualified by a significant Group x Alcohol Condition interaction effect, F (1, 98) = 4.66, p [is less than] .05, [Eta.sup.2] = .05. To identify the source of the interaction effect, we performed a simple contrast of sexually aggressive men's latency scores pooled across the level of alcohol condition. Sexually aggressive men who read that the characters had consumed alcohol took longer to stop the date rape than their aggressive peers who did not receive the alcohol manipulation, t (52) = -2.78, p [is less than] .01, [[Eta].sup.2] = .13, suggesting that behavioral and situational factors posited in naturalistic incidents of sexual aggression interactively resulted in prolonged pro·long tr.v. pro·longed, pro·long·ing, pro·longs 1. To lengthen in duration; protract. 2. To lengthen in extent. decisions to stop the coercive interaction. This difference was not significant for the nonaggressive men, suggesting that the presence or absence of character alcohol consumption did not differentially impact nonaggressive men's decisions. On average, the sexually aggressive group who listened to the alcohol scenario signified that the interaction should continue until the end of Segment 4 (M = 188.86; SD = 46.2), after the man used moderate verbal persuasion and immediately subsequent to verbal threats and forceful attempts to remove the woman's jeans (see Table 1). Inspection of the group means suggested this group differed from all other groups on decision-latency. As shown in Table 2, post-hoc comparisons of the four groups obtained with the Tukey Honestly Significant Difference test confirmed this prediction. Table 2. Decision Latency Means and Standard Deviations In statistics, the average amount a number varies from the average number in a series of numbers. (statistics) standard deviation - (SD) A measure of the range of values in a set of numbers. for Sexually Aggressive and Nonaggressive Men Across Alcohol
Sexually Aggressive
Alcohol
Condition: Alcohol No Alcohol
(n = 27) (n = 27)
Decision
Latency: [188.86.sub.a] [156.84.sub.b]
(SD) (46.28) (37.92)
Nonaggressive
Alcohol
Condition: Alcohol No Alcohol
(n = 24) (n = 24)
Decision
Latency: [145.69.sub.b] [147.40.sub.b]
(SD) (37.22) (34.26)
Note. Decision Latency is expressed in seconds. Means in the same row that do not share a common subscript (1) In word processing and scientific notation, a digit or symbol that appears below the line; for example, H2O, the symbol for water. Contrast with superscript. (2) In programming, a method for referencing data in a table. differ significantly at p < .05 according to the Tukey Honestly Significant Difference test. Rape Supportive Decisions In order to determine the group status of men who fell into the most rape-supportive ranges of sexual decision-making, we conducted a frequency analysis determining the percentage of participants classified as sexually aggressive or nonaggressive for Segment 4 (Verbal Threats) and Segment 5 (Forced Sex). Sexually aggressive men were nearly six times more likely (24.5% vs. 4.2%) to stop the date rape during Segment 4 (i.e., the man attempts to remove the woman's jeans, verbally threatens to hurt her, and she has begun yelling yell v. yelled, yell·ing, yells v.intr. To cry out loudly, as in pain, fright, surprise, or enthusiasm. v.tr. To utter or express with a loud cry. See Synonyms at shout. n. and crying for him to stop) than nonaggressive men, [chi square chi square (kī), n a nonparametric statistic used with discrete data in the form of frequency count (nominal data) or percentages or proportions that can be reduced to frequencies. ] (1, N = 100) = 7.23, p [is less than] .01. Only one participant stopped the tape after forced sexual activity transpired (i.e., during Segment 5), and he was classified as sexually aggressive. As expected, differences were magnified in the alcohol condition, with sexually aggressive men over eight times more likely (34.6% vs. 4.2%) to stop the tape during Segment 4 than nonaggressive men, [chi square] (1, N = 100) = 8.26, p [is less than] .01. Suspicious Schema Explanation To examine whether sexually aggressive men processed sexual information according to a suspicious schema, we computed Pearson product moment correlations between sexual aggression frequency and ratings of the woman's communication (i.e., honesty, desire to have sex, and typicality). As shown in Table 3, a significant negative correlation Noun 1. negative correlation - a correlation in which large values of one variable are associated with small values of the other; the correlation coefficient is between 0 and -1 indirect correlation was found between sexual aggression (frequency) and judgment of the female character's honesty in expressing her feelings about wanting to have sex. As predicted, relatively more aggressive men also rated the female character as wanting to have sex to a greater degree than did less aggressive men. Surprisingly, a significant negative correlation between sexual aggression and typicality ratings suggested relatively more aggressive men rated the female character's behavior as less typical than how most women would act given the same sexual situation. As predicted, the pattern of these results was stronger in the alcohol condition, which appeared to be responsible for the overall effect. Table 3. Correlations Between Sexual Aggression and Perceptions of the Woman's Communication in the Alcohol and No Alcohol Conditions.
Condition
Alcohol No Alcohol Combined
Measure (n = 51) (n = 51) (n = 51)
Honesty -.48(**) .04 -.31(*)
Typicality -.36(**) -.01 -.22(*)
Desire to Have Sex .38(*) .02 .23(*)
Note. Sexual aggression = composite frequency of sexually aggressive behavior. Honesty = "How much do you think the woman was in expressing her true feelings about having sex?" from 1 (completely dishonest) to 7 (completely honest); Typicality = "How much do you believe the woman acted the way most women would act in this situation?" from 1 (acted nothing like most women) to 7 (acted completely like most women); Want Sex = "How much did the woman really want to have sex with the man?" from 1 (not at all) to 7 (completely wanted sex). (*) p < .05 (**) p < .01. DISCUSSION This study examined the judgments of sexually aggressive and nonaggressive college men about when to terminate unwanted advances depicted in an audio tape date rape analogue. In addition, the study investigated the relationship of these judgments to alcohol consumption by the vignette characters, and the extent to which sexually aggressive men processed sexual information according to a suspicious schema. Consistent with previous findings (Bernat et al., in press), the sexually aggressive group had longer latencies to terminate sexual advances than the nonaggressive group, indicating their acceptance of a higher level of sexually coercive and forceful behavior. Specifically, sexually aggressive men were nearly six times more likely than nonaggressive men to allow the date rape encounter to continue to the point of verbal threats, and were over eight times more likely to do so when the couple was portrayed as drinking alcohol. These findings are consistent with recent research showing that sexually coercive college men not only make coercive experimental decisions (i.e., prolonged decision-latencies), but exhibit increased sexual arousal sexual arousal Horny/horniness, randy/randiness Physiology A state of sexual 'yellow alert' which has a mental component–↑ cortical responsiveness to sensory stimulation, and physical component–↑ penile sensitivity, neural response to stimuli, and fail to inhibit responding when force is introduced in a date rape analogue (Bernat, 1997). Collectively, these findings suggest similarities between reported instances of naturalistic sexually aggressive behavior and men's personal decisions and behavior in the laboratory. While results indicated that men's sexually aggressive characteristics were associated with decisions to prolong the date rape interaction, this relationship was moderated by the situational drinking context in which the date had taken place. As predicted, sexually aggressive men who were provided with a permissive alcohol cue exhibited the longest latencies of any group. This finding is consistent with multivariate models of sexual aggression (e.g., Craig, 1990; Malamuth et al., 1991), that posit sexual aggression results from a convergence of dispositional characteristics interacting with the situational context to result in sexually aggressive behavior. It appears that alcohol may disinhibit dis·in·hib·it tr.v. dis·in·hib·it·ed, dis·in·hib·it·ing, dis·in·hib·its To free from inhibitions. impulses toward sexual aggression, but perhaps only in men predisposed pre·dis·pose v. pre·dis·posed, pre·dis·pos·ing, pre·dis·pos·es v.tr. 1. a. To make (someone) inclined to something in advance: to committing such acts (Seto & Barbaree, 1995). A major purpose of this study was to examine a potential theoretical explanation for differences in sexual decision-making among men with disparate sexual histories. In partial support of a suspicious schema explanation (Malamuth & Brown, 1994), we found that relatively more aggressive men rated the female character as less honest in expressing her true feelings about wanting to have sex, resulting in an overestimation o·ver·es·ti·mate tr.v. o·ver·es·ti·mat·ed, o·ver·es·ti·mat·ing, o·ver·es·ti·mates 1. To estimate too highly. 2. To esteem too greatly. of how much she wanted to have sex. This supports the notion that sexually aggressive men perceive women as exhibiting an adversarial, game-playing orientation when it comes to sex (e.g., "women don't really tell the truth when it comes to sex"), and thus are more likely to discount the veridicality of women's communication and persist in Verb 1. persist in - do something repeatedly and showing no intention to stop; "We continued our research into the cause of the illness"; "The landlord persists in asking us to move" continue sexual advances (Malamuth & Brown, 1994). Consistent with this position is theoretical and empirical work (e.g., Burkhart & Fromuth, 1991; Malamuth & Brown, 1994; McFall, 1990) suggesting that sexually aggressive men operate according to coercive cognitive schemas, or belief systems about the nature of sexual interactions between men and women, which function as information processing heuristics heu·ris·tic adj. 1. Of or relating to a usually speculative formulation serving as a guide in the investigation or solution of a problem: for decision-making in sexual interactions. In the present study, it appears that sexually aggressive men who were provided with a disinhibiting, and perhaps more ambiguous, situational context in which the characters consumed alcohol were more likely to rely on their coercive belief systems and interpret the woman's resistance as false. In a naturalistic context, this cognitive bias A cognitive bias is any of a wide range of observer effects identified in cognitive science and social psychology including very basic statistical, social attribution, and memory errors that are common to all human beings. may allow a perpetrator to actively manipulate his social environment as well as his evaluation of events to participate in desired activities, thereby perpetuating a cycle of aggressive sexual behavior (Bernat et al., in press; Craig, 1990). Although we found support for the suspicious schema explanation based on aggressive men's perceptions of less than honest communication by the individual female character, we also found that aggressive men rated her behavior as less typical than most women's behavior given the same sexual situation, which is in direct contrast to predictions of the suspicious schema explanation. One potential explanation is that sexually aggressive men based their judgments on their own sexual experiences with women. While the male character in the analogue was required to use force to obtain intercourse, it may be that sexually aggressive men who use alcohol or drugs to impair a victim usually succeed in their endeavors to have sex without resorting to threats or force. Indeed, most sexually aggressive college men report using non-forceful methods (e.g., verbal and psychological pressure, alcohol and/or drugs) to obtain unwanted sexual behavior (Rapaport & Burkhart, 1984). Nonetheless, future research should explore this possibility more definitively. While the present study establishes an empirical link between character alcohol consumption, laboratory decisions, and sexual aggression, it has several limitations. First, the decisions made by men during a date rape analogue may not necessarily correspond with decisions occurring in naturalistic sexual contexts. However, the finding that sexually aggressive men were more likely to stop the tape at the point of verbal threats or forced sex suggests a correspondence between on line laboratory judgments and personal decisions. This is a closer approximation approximation /ap·prox·i·ma·tion/ (ah-prok?si-ma´shun) 1. the act or process of bringing into proximity or apposition. 2. a numerical value of limited accuracy. to real life decisions than most vignette research in which participants typically make judgments after reading a complete account of a rape. The heuristic A method of problem solving using exploration and trial and error methods. Heuristic program design provides a framework for solving the problem in contrast with a fixed set of rules (algorithmic) that cannot vary. 1. value of the decision-latency methodology is that it provides information on how people judge sexual situations at different points in their progression. Second, it might be argued that the present results can be explained by demand characteristics, with the sexually aggressive group more willing to engage in socially undesirable behavior in the laboratory than the nonaggressive group. However, in previous studies using this methodology we have shown that neither sexual aggression history (Bernat, 1997) nor decision-latency (Bernat, Stolp, Calhoun & Adams, 1997) is associated with social desirability. An additional limitation is the sample, which consisted of undergraduate male college students who were young and predominantly white. Thus, caution should be dictated in generalizing the present findings to other groups. Future studies should include more diverse samples of men such as ethnic minority males, older adults, and individuals with sexual victimization histories, to further understand the decision processes associated with sexual aggression. Moreover, the inclusion of qualitative methodologies (e.g., articulated thought paradigm), in combination with quantitative data, might provide further insights into why participants decided to prolong the date rape, and thus ensure more ecologically valid findings. Finally, although the present study manipulated character alcohol consumption, we did not manipulate participant's alcohol consumption. It would be interesting to determine whether sexually aggressive and nonaggressive men's laboratory decisions were differentially impacted by alcohol consumption and/or alcohol expectancies (cf. Marx, 1996). (1) Because decision-latencies were, as expected, not distributed normally, we performed a log-10 transformation on this variable to normalize normalize to convert a set of data by, for example, converting them to logarithms or reciprocals so that their previous non-normal distribution is converted to a normal one. the distribution. In order to determine the comparability of results, analyses of variance were conducted on both transformed and raw-score latency measures. These analyses yielded parallel results. Thus, the raw-score means are presented for ease of interpretation. REFERENCES Abbey, A. (1991). Acquaintance rape acquaintance rape n. Rape perpetrated by someone known to the victim. and alcohol consumption on college campuses: How are they linked? Journal of American College American College is the name of:
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The role of alcohol in sexual aggression. Clinical Psychology Review, 15, 545-566. Shively, M. (1995). Measuring the effects of situational variables on judgments of sexual aggression in dating situations. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Massachusetts The system includes UMass Amherst, UMass Boston, UMass Dartmouth (affiliated with Cape Cod Community College), UMass Lowell, and the UMass Medical School. It also has an online school called UMassOnline. , Amherst. Manuscript accepted March 12, 1998 Jeffrey A. Bernat, Karen S. Calhoun, and Stephanie Stolp University of Georgia Portions of this paper were presented at the 31st annual convention of the Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy behavior therapy or behavior modification, in psychology, treatment of human behavioral disorders through the reinforcement of acceptable behavior and suppression of undesirable behavior. (1997), Miami, Florida “Miami” redirects here. For the Native American tribe, see Miami tribe. Miami is a major city in southeastern Florida, in the United States. It is the county seat of Miami-Dade County. Miami is a gamma world city with an estimated population of 404,048. . The authors wish to thank Alan Gross and Brian Marx for providing the audio tape stimulus, Henry E. Adams for comments on an earlier draft, and the under-graduate research assistants who served as experimenters. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Jeffrey A. Bernat, Department of Psychology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia Athens-Clarke County is a unified city-county in Georgia, U.S., in the northeastern part of the state, at the eastern terminus of Georgia 316. The University of Georgia is located in this college town and is responsible for the initial creation of Athens and its subsequent growth. , 30602-3013; e-mail: jbernat@arches.uga.edu |
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