Power, sex, and rape myth acceptance: testing two models of rape proclivity.
Power and sex are thought to be important factors associated with sexual aggression. The goal of this study was to offer a dual-process model to determine how both an implicit power-sex association and explicit power-sex beliefs contribute to rape myth acceptance and rape proclivity. In Study 1, an explicit measure of power-sex beliefs was developed using a participant sample of 131 college students (54% female; age: M = 20.2 years, SD = 3.5 years). In Study 2, 108 male college students (age: M = 19.1 years, SD = 1.3 years) completed a power-sex implicit association test and three explicit measures assessing power-sex beliefs, rape myth acceptance, and rape proclivity. Two models of rape proclivity were compared. The best-fitting model showed that rape myth acceptance mediated the relationships between rape proclivity and an implicit power-sex association, as well as explicit power-sex beliefs.
Department of Psychology, Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA. kristine.chapleau@mu.edu
Kristine M
KM
Chapleau
Debra L
DL
Oswald
D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011209:Power, Psychological; D011902:Rape; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D012938:Social Perception; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult