title: The role of gender identity threat in perceptions of date rape and sexual coercion.
abstract: We experimentally investigated the effects of gender identity threat on men's and women's perceptions of date rape and sexual coercion. Results showed that men whose masculinity was threatened responded by blaming the victim and exonerating the perpetrator more, while threatened women respond by blaming male perpetrators more and placing less blame on female victims. Men's response to threats was more pronounced than women's, an asymmetry we attribute to the cultural devaluation of femininity. Our findings highlight the significance of masculinity concerns in perceptions of sexual violence and, more generally, the importance of perceiver context in views of violence against women.
authors.affiliation: Stanford University, Michelle R. Clayman Institute for Gender Research, Stanford, CA 94305, USA. clm73@stanford.edu
authors.forename: Christin L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Munsch
authors.forename: Robb
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Willer
mesh_terms: D003068:Coercion; D019548:Crime Victims; D057237:Criminals; D005260:Female; D057227:Femininity; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D057228:Masculinity; D011902:Rape; D012737:Sex Factors; D063507:Sexism; D012725:Sexual Behavior; D012938:Social Perception; D014754:Violence; D014933:Women's Rights