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Abstract
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AUTHOR'S ABSTRACT:
A 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 factorial experiment was conducted to examine the effects of respectability of the victim, severity of the physical consequences, and the probability of experiencing a similar fate on males' and females' perceptions of a rape victim. Sixty-one volunteers from introductory psychology classes read an essay describing the prevalence of rape and a paragraph describing the physical consequences to the victim, and watched a brief videotape of the victim (actually an actress who was either well or poorly dressed and groomed) describing what happened to her. Predictions were generated from the just-world hypothesis (which states that people will blame a victim in order to avoid thinking a similar fate could befall them) and defensive attribution theory (which states that when people expect a similar fate, they will avoid blaming the victim). Results showed that the predicted effect for similarity of fate occurred only for male subjects. It was also found that males blamed the victim more than did females only when the probability of a similar fate was low. These results offer conditional support for defensive attribution theory. A marginally significant interaction effect of respectability, severity of consequences, and the probability of a similar fate also offered conditional support for defensive attribution theory; and the interaction effect of respectability, severity of consequences, and gender of the subject was explained within the just-world framework. It was postulated that only conditional support was obtained for defensive attribution theory due to the differential effects of the similarity-of-fate manipulation on male and female subjects. Methods to clarify this issue were discussed along with methods to test the application of the findings in the real-world setting. (Abstract Adapted from Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, 1982. Copyright © 1982 by Janet Peart Morris; University Microfilms International)
Peer Perceptions
Adult Perceptions
Adult Male
Adult Female
Female Perceptions
Male Perceptions
Victim Characteristics
Perceptions About Victim
Rape Victim
Rape Perceptions
Sexual Assault Victim
Sexual Assault Perceptions
Sexual Assault Effects
Violence Against Women
Female Victim
Adult Victim
Victim Blaming
06-07 |