Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine gender differences in perceived guilt of a male accused of sexual assault as a function of the behavior of the female victim and the context in which the female was observed. To examine this, participants viewed a video clip that depicted a smiling or non-smiling female who was seated at either a library study table or at a bar. Participants were then given details about an alleged assault of this female by a male and asked to report the verdict they would choose for that male. Results indicated that while males were generally less likely than females to find the male assailant guilty they were also more influenced by the specific combination of female behavior and context. Specifically, males were least likely to see the male as guilty when the female victim was smiling and located in a club setting.

Details

Title
Effects of behavior, context and observer gender on the perceived guilt for sexual assault
Author
Andrews, Steven E.
Year
2010
Publisher
ProQuest Dissertations Publishing
ISBN
978-1-124-60704-7
Source type
Dissertation or Thesis
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
866297801
Copyright
Database copyright ProQuest LLC; ProQuest does not claim copyright in the individual underlying works.