title: Women's rape fantasies: an empirical evaluation of the major explanations.
abstract: This study evaluated explanations of rape fantasy in a sample of female undergraduates (N = 355) using a sexual fantasy checklist which included eight types of rape fantasy, participants' detailed descriptions of a rape fantasy they have had, a rape fantasy scenario audio presentation, and measures of personality. Three explanations of rape fantasy were tested: openness to sexual experience, sexual desirability, and sexual blame avoidance. Women who were higher in erotophilia and self-esteem and who had more frequent consensual sexual fantasies and more frequent desirability fantasies, particularly of performing as a stripper, had more frequent rape fantasies. Women who were higher in erotophilia, openness to fantasy, desirability fantasies, and self-esteem reported greater sexual arousal to rape fantasies. Sexual blame avoidance theory was not supported; sexual desirability theory was moderately supported; openness to sexual experience theory received the strongest support.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of North Texas, 1155 Union Circle, #311280, Denton, TX 76203-5017, USA.
authors.forename: Jenny M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Bivona
authors.forename: Joseph W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Critelli
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Clark
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005201:Fantasy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D010551:Personality; D011902:Rape / Q000523:psychology*; D012649:Self Concept; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D014930:Women / Q000523:psychology