Explicating the role of sexual coercion and vulnerability alcohol expectancies in rape attributions.
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.
['Starfelt|Louise C|LC|', 'Young|Ross McD|RM|', 'White|Katherine M|KM|', 'Palk|Gavan R M|GR|']
D000293:Adolescent D000428:Alcohol Drinking D001290:Attitude D003068:Coercion D005260:Female D006801:Humans D007398:Interpersonal Relations D008297:Male D011902:Rape D012725:Sexual Behavior D012938:Social Perception D055815:Young Adult
alcohol alcohol expectancy rape attribution blame