title: Explicating the role of sexual coercion and vulnerability alcohol expectancies in rape attributions.
abstract: Despite evidence suggesting that alcohol expectancies may influence people's rape perceptions, no study to date has measured context-specific expectancies comprehensively. This study represents an initial investigation of the role of sexual coercion and vulnerability alcohol expectancies in young Australian adults' rape blame attributions. Using a vignette method, it was hypothesized that participants' stronger expectancy endorsement would predict lesser perpetrator blame and greater victim blame. Participants (n = 210; 34.9% males; 18-25 years) read a hypothetical rape scenario and rated dimensions of blameworthiness attributed to the intoxicated sexual perpetrator and victim. Participants completed the Sexual Coercion and Sexual Vulnerability subscales of the Drinking Expectancy Sexual Vulnerabilities Questionnaire for the targets self, men, and women in addition to measures of traditional gender role attitudes and rape myth acceptance. Hierarchical multiple regressions revealed that, as expected, stronger sexual coercion expectancy predicted lower perpetrator blame and greater victim blame. Self-oriented expectancy predicted evaluations of the perpetrator whereas other-oriented expectancy predicted victim evaluations. These effects were robust after controlling for gender role attitudes and rape myth acceptance. Alcohol expectancies appear to be part of a network of beliefs and attitudes which perpetuate biased rape attributions and may be useful to challenge in altering rape perceptions.
authors.affiliation: Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia l.starfelt@qut.edu.au.
authors.forename: Louise C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Starfelt
authors.affiliation: Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: Ross McD
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Young
authors.affiliation: Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: Katherine M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: White
authors.affiliation: Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia.
authors.forename: Gavan R M
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Palk
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000523:psychology*; D001290:Attitude; D003068:Coercion; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D011902:Rape / Q000523:psychology*; D012725:Sexual Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D012938:Social Perception; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: alcohol; alcohol expectancy; attribution; blame; rape