The effects of exposure to rape victims on men's attitudes toward women and attitudes toward rape

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of presenting information that is intended to counter rape myths on subsequent attitudes toward rape and attitudes toward women. This effect was tested by showing videotapes of rape victims discussing the personal experience of rape. An active control group saw videotapes of women discussing the social skill of initiating conversations, while a passive control group received no treatment. A review of the literature suggested that myths about rape are found throughout the general population. Men who have been labeled rapists or who say they would rape if they were assured of not being caught are particularly likely to endorse rape myths. Rape myths are associated with a broader attitude system that could be classified as pro-rape. The present study was an effort to present videotapes to men who were inmates in a detention center in an effort to dispel certain myths about rape such as "women really want to be raped." The Bias in Attitude Survey and Attitude Toward Women Scale were selected to measure the subjects' attitude toward women. To measure attitudes toward rape subjects were given the Attitudes Toward Rape Questionnaire and asked to respond to open-ended questions after they read rape vignettes. Responses to the open-ended questions were coded in terms of whether they were pro-rape in nature. Analysis of variance was used to determine whether there were significant differences among the treatment group and control groups. Anciliary analyses, using multiple regression, were done to determine which of the pre-treatment variables in the study might have the most ability to predict the dependent variables across all subjects. Results of this study failed to show any significant differences between groups due to the treatment. There was a strong relationship between conservative attitudes toward women, acceptance of rape myths, and pro-rape attitudes.