Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-18T07:59:45.826Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Factors Associated with Rape-Supportive Attitudes: Sociodemographic Variables, Aggressive Personality, and Sexist Attitudes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 January 2013

Juan Carlos Sierra*
Affiliation:
Universidad de Granada (Spain)
Pablo Santos-Iglesias
Affiliation:
Universidad de Granada (Spain)
Ricardo Gutiérrez-Quintanilla
Affiliation:
Universidad Tecnológica (El Salvador)
María Paz Bermúdez
Affiliation:
Universidad de Granada (Spain)
Gualberto Buela-Casal
Affiliation:
Universidad de Granada (Spain)
*
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Juan Carlos Sierra. Facultad de Psicología. Universidad de Granada. 18071 Granada. (Spain). E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to determine the influence of various sociodemographic variables and estimate the impact of additional psychological factors (aggressive personality traits and the sexual double standard) on rape-supportive attitudes. A sample of 700 men and 800 women from El Salvador aged between 18 and 40 years completed the Social Desirability Scale, the Double Standard Scale, the Aggression Questionnaire, the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory-2 and the Rape-Supportive Attitude Scale. Results show gender-based and age-based differences in rape-supportive attitudes, as well as an interaction between gender and age. They also highlight the importance of the sexual double standard and aggressive personality traits in explaining such attitudes.

Los objetivos de este estudio fueron determinar la influencia de ciertas variables sociodemográficas y estimar el impacto de una serie de factores psicológicos adicionales (rasgos de personalidad agresiva y doble moral sexual) sobre las actitudes favorables hacia la violación. Una muestra comprendida por 700 hombres y 800 mujeres de El Salvador, con edades comprendidas entre los 18 y los 40 años, completaron la Escala de Deseabilidad Social, Escala de Doble Moral, Cuestionario de Agresión, Inventario de Expresión de la Ira Estado-Rasgo 2 y la Escala de Actitudes Favorables hacia la Violación. Los resultados mostraron diferencias en las actitudes favorables hacia la violación en función de la edad y el sexo, así como una interacción entre el sexo y la edad. También muestran la importancia de la doble moral sexual y los rasgos de personalidad agresiva en la explicación de dichas actitudes.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Anderson, K. B., Cooper, H., & Okamura, L. (1997). Individual differences and attitudes toward rape: A meta-analytic review. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 23, 295315.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Anderson, I., & Swainson, V. (2001). Perceived motivation for rape: Gender differences in beliefs about female and male rape. Current Research in Social Psychology, 6, 107122.Google Scholar
Aosved, A. C., & Long, P. J. (2006). Co-occurrence of rape myth acceptance, sexism, racism, homophobia, ageism, classism, and religious intolerance. Sex Roles, 55, 481492.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bell, S. T., Kuriloff, P. J., Lottes, I., Nathanson, J., Judge, T., & Fogelson-Turet, K. (1992). Rape callousness in college freshmen: An empirical investigation of the sociocultural model of aggression towards women. Journal of College Student Development, 33, 454461.Google Scholar
Berkel, L. A., Vandiver, B. J., & Bahner, A. D. (2004). Gender role attitudes, religion and spirituality as predictors of domestic violence attitudes in white college students. Journal of College Student Development, 45, 119133.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Burt, M. R. (1980). Cultural myths and supports for rape. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 38, 217230.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Buss, A. H., & Perry, M. (1992). The Aggression Questionnaire. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 63, 452459.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Caron, S. L., Davis, C. M., Halteman, W. A., & Stickle, M. (1993). Double Standard Scale. In Davis, C. M., Yarber, W. L., Bauserman, R., Scherer, G., & Davis, S. L. (Eds.), Handbook of sexuality-related measures (pp. 182183). London: Sage.Google Scholar
Cohen, J., & Cohen, P. (1983). Applied multiple regression: Correlation analysis for the behavioral sciences (2a Ed.). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.Google Scholar
Cowan, G. (2000). Beliefs about the causes of four types of rape. Sex Roles, 42, 807823.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Crowne, D. P., & Marlowe, D. (1960). A new scale of social desirability independent of psychopathology. Journal of Consulting Psychology, 24, 349354.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Echeburúa, E., & Fernández-Montalvo, J. (2009). Evaluación de un programa de tratamiento en prisión de hombres condenados por violencia grave contra la pareja. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, 9, 520.Google Scholar
Echeburúa, E., Sarasua, B., Zubizarreta, I., & de Corral, P. (2009). Evaluación de la eficacia de un programa de tratamiento cognitivo-conductual para hombres violentos contra la pareja en un marco comunitario: una experiencia de 10 años (1997-2007). International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, 9, 199217.Google Scholar
Ferrando, P. J., & Chico, E. (2000). Adaptación y análisis psicométrico de la escala de deseabilidad social de Marlowe y Crowne. Psicothema, 12, 383389.Google Scholar
Ferrer Pérez, V. A., Bosch Fiol, E., Ramis Palmer, M. C., & Navarro Guzmán, C. (2006a). Las creencias y actitudes sobre la violencia contra las mujeres en la pareja: determinantes sociodemográficos, familiares y formativos. Anales de Psicología, 22, 251259.Google Scholar
Ferrer Pérez, V. A., Bosch Fiol, E., Ramis Palmer, M. C., Torres Espinosa, G., & Navarro Guzmán, C. (2006b). La violencia contra las mujeres en la pareja: creencias y actitudes en estudiantes universitarios/as. Psicothema, 18, 359366.Google Scholar
Forbes, G. B., Adams-Curtis, L. E., & White, K. B. (2004). First-and second-generation measures of sexism, rape myths and related beliefs, and hostility toward women. Violence Against Women, 10, 236261.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Frese, B., Moya, M., & Megías, J. L. (2004). Social perception of rape. How rape myth acceptance modulates the influence of situational factors. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 19, 143161.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Heise, L. (1998). Violence against women: An integrated, ecological framework. Violence Against Women, 4, 262290.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jaccard, J., Turrisi, S., & Wan, C. K. (1990). Interaction effects in multiple regression. Newbury Park, CA: Sage.Google ScholarPubMed
Johnson, B. E., Kuck, D. L., & Schander, P. R. (1997). Rape myth acceptance and sociodemographic characteristics: A multidimensional analysis. Sex Roles, 36, 693707.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lanier, C. A. (2001). Rape-accepting attitudes: Precursors to or consequences of forced sex. Violence Against Women, 7, 876885.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lee, J., Busch, N. B., Kim, J., & Lim, H. (2007). Attitudes toward date rape among university students in South Korea. Sex Roles, 57, 641649.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lee, J., Pomeroy, E. C., Yoo, S. K., & Rheinboldt, K. T. (2005). Attitudes toward rape. A comparison between Asian and Caucasian college students. Violence Against Women, 11, 177196.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lonsway, K. A., & Fitzgerald, L. F. (1994). Rape myths: In review. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 18, 133164.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lottes, I. L. (1991). Belief systems: Sexuality and rape. Journal of Psychology and Human Sexuality, 4, 3759.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Malamuth, N. M. (1989). The Attraction to Sexual Aggression Scale: Part two. Journal of Sex Research, 26, 324354.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Malamuth, N. M., Sockloski, R. J., Koss, M. P., & Tanaka, J. S. (1991). Characteristics of aggressors against women: Testing a model using a national sample of college students. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 59, 670681.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Miguel-Tobal, J. J., Casado, M. I., Cano-Vindel, A., & Spielberger, C. D. (2001). Inventario de expresión de ira estado-rasgo. STAXI-2. Madrid: TEA.Google Scholar
Montero, I., & León, O. G. (2007). A guide for naming research studies in Psychology International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, 7, 847862.Google Scholar
Morry, M. M., & Winkler, E. (2001). Student acceptance and expectation of sexual assault. Canadian Journal of Behavior Science, 33, 188192.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moya, M., Expósito, F., & Padilla, J. L. (2006). Revisión de las propiedades psicométricas de las versiones larga y reducida de la Escala sobre Ideología de Género. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, 6, 709727.Google Scholar
Murnen, S. K., Wright, C., & Kaluzny, G. (2002). If “boys will be boys,” then girls will be victims? A meta-analytic review of the research that relates masculine ideology to sexual aggression. Sex Roles, 46, 359375.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nagel, B., Matsuo, H., McIntyre, K. P., & Morrison, N. (2005). Attitudes toward victims of rape. Effects of gender, race, religion, and social class. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 20, 725737.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Nayak, M. B., Byrne, C. A., Martin, M. K., & Abraham, A. G. (2003). Attitudes toward violence against women: A cross-nation study. Sex Roles, 49, 333342.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Osman, S. L. (2004). Victim resistence: Theory and data on understanding perceptions of sexual harassment. Sex Roles, 50, 267275.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Saldívar Hernández, G., Ramos Lira, L., & Saltijeral Méndez, M. (2004). Validación de las escalas de aceptación de la violencia y de los mitos de violación en estudiantes universitarios. Salud Mental, 27, 4049.Google Scholar
Sheldon, J. P., & Parent, S. L. (2002). Clergy's attitudes and attributions of blame toward treatment in cases of rape. Violence Against Women, 8, 233256.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sherrod, N. B. (2003). A few good men ii: Distinguishing between men with high and low endorsement of rape-supportive attitudes. Dissertation Abstracts International: Section B: The Sciences and Engineering, 63, 4235.Google Scholar
Sierra, J. C., & Gutiérrez-Quintanilla, R. (2007a). Estudio psicométrico de la versión salvadoreña de la Double Standard Scale. Cuadernos de Medicina Psicosomática y Psiquiatría de Enlace, 83, 2330.Google Scholar
Sierra, J. C., & Gutiérrez-Quintanilla, R. (2007b). Validación de la versión española del Cuestionario de Agresión de Buss-Perry en estudiantes universitarios salvadoreños. Psicología y Salud, 17, 103113.Google Scholar
Sierra, J. C., Gutiérrez-Quintanilla, R., & Delgado-Domínguez, C. (2007). Escala de Actitud Favorable hacia la Violación: primeras evidencias acerca de su fiabilidad y validez en muestras salvadoreñas. Universitas Psychologica, 6, 539548.Google Scholar
Sierra, J. C., Rojas, A., Ortega, V., & Martín Ortiz, J. D. (2007). Evaluación de actitudes sexuales machistas en universitarios: primeros datos psicométricos de las versiones españolas de la Double Standard Scale (DSS) y de la Rape-Supportive Attitude Scale (RSAS). International Journal of Psychology and Psychological Therapy, 7, 4160.Google Scholar
Smith, D., & Stewart, S. (2003). Sexual aggression and sports participation. Journal of Sports Behavior, 26, 384395.Google Scholar
Spence, J. T., Losoff, M., & Robbins, A. (1991). Sexually aggressive tactics in dating relationships: Personality and attitudinal correlates. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 10, 289304.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Trujano Ruiz, P., & Raich i Escursell, M. (2000). Variables socioculturales en la atribución de culpa a las víctimas de violación. Psicothema, 12, 223228.Google Scholar
Willis, C. E., Hallinan, M. N., & Melby, J. (1996). Effects of sex role stereotyping among European American students on domestic violence culpability attributions. Sex Roles, 34, 475491.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yoshioka, M. R., DiNoia, J., & Ullah, K. (2000). Attitudes toward marital violence. Violence Against Women, 7, 900926.CrossRefGoogle Scholar