Using social norms to reduce men's rape proclivity: Perceived rape myth acceptance of out-groups may be more influential than that of in-groups |
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| Authors: | Gerd Bohner Afroditi Pina G. Tendayi Viki Frank Siebler |
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| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Psychology , University of Bielefeld , Bielefeld, Germany gerd.bohner@uni-bielefeld.de;3. School of Psychology , University of Kent , Canterbury, UK;4. Department of Psychology , University of Troms? , Troms?, Norway |
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| Abstract: | Abstract Feedback about a reference group's rape myth acceptance (RMA) has been shown to affect men's rape proclivity (Bohner, Siebler, & Schmelcher, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 32, 286–297, 2006). In two experiments with male university students (total N=294), this research was extended by varying the in-group vs out-group status of the reference group. Results showed that feedback about other men's RMA influenced self-reported RMA (Experiment 1) and rape proclivity (Experiments 1 and 2). Overall, participants' rape proclivity was affected by feedback about both in-groups' RMA and out-groups' RMA. The strongest reduction of rape proclivity was produced by low-RMA feedback about an out-group that participants expected to be high in RMA (Experiment 2). Implications for theory and intervention are discussed. |
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| Keywords: | rape myths rape proclivity sexual aggression sexual violence social norms |
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