Schema Effects of Rape Myth Acceptance on Judgments of Guilt and Blame in Rape Cases: The Role of Perceived Entitlement to Judge

• NCJ Number: 239790
• Journal: Journal of Interpersonal Violence Volume: 26 Issue: 8 Dated: May 2011 Pages: 1579-1605
• Author(s): Friederike Eyssel; Gerd Bohner
• Date Published: May 2011
• Length: 27 pages
• Grant Number(s): BO 1248/6-1
• Sponsoring Agency: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study examines the acceptance of rape myths (RMA).

Abstract

Two experiments (N = 330) examined conditions that facilitate biasing effects of rape myth acceptance (RMA) on judgments of blame in rape cases. In both experiments, participants read a short vignette depicting a rape case. In Experiment 1, the amount of case-irrelevant information about defendant and plaintiff was varied. As predicted, high-RMA (vs. low-RMA) participants were less likely to blame the defendant the more irrelevant information they had read. In Experiment 2, participants in a social judgeability condition were made to believe that they had been subliminally exposed to additional case information although in fact no additional information had been presented. As predicted, compared to a control condition, participants' blame judgments were more biased by their RMA under social judgeability. The findings reveal that the mechanism underlying the biasing effects of RMA may be the subjective feeling of entitlement to judge. Abstract published by arrangement with Sage Journals.