The Effects of Victim and Perpetrator Characteristics on Ratings of Guilt in a Sexual Assault Case.

Scholars have long investigated how perceptions of the victim affect judgments in a sexual assault case, but little research has investigated perceptions of the perpetrator. Participants (N = 322) read a scenario about an alleged sexual assault that manipulated victim behavior (speed of reporting) and perpetrator characteristics (athlete status and celebrity status) and then made judgments about the victim and perpetrator. Results showed that victim behavior was the most important factor in judgments. Furthermore, significant three-way interactions suggested that participants may attend to perpetrator characteristics but only when the victim's behavior is consistent with stereotypes about sexual assault victims.

Prevalence and effects of rape myths in print journalism: the Kobe Bryant case.

Two studies examine the prevalence and effects of rape myths in the print media covering a real-life case of alleged sexual assault. Study 1 was an archival study of 156 sources from around the country. Articles about the Kobe Bryant case were coded for instances of rape myths, among other variables. Of the articles, 65 mentioned at least one rape myth (with "she's lying" being the single most common myth perpetuated). Study 2 assessed participants' (N = 62) prior knowledge of the Bryant case and exposed them to a myth-endorsing or myth-challenging article about the case. Those exposed to the myth-endorsing article were more likely to believe that Bryant was not guilty and the alleged victim was lying. The implications for victim reporting and reducing sexual assault in general are discussed.

The Influence of Non-Misogynous and Mixed Portrayals of Intimate Partner Violence in Music on Beliefs About Intimate Partner Violence.

In this study, we investigated the effect of songs that offer non-misogynous and ambivalent portrayals of intimate partner violence (IPV). Participants ( N = 103) were exposed to a misogynous song about IPV, a song critical of IPV, and a song that offered an ambivalent portrayal of IPV. Our results showed positive effects of the anti-IPV song, and both positive and negative effects of the ambivalent portrayal on participants' beliefs about a violent relationship. These findings suggest that the context in which IPV is portrayed should be considered when evaluating the impact of media depicting IPV.

The causal role of theories of relationships: consequences for satisfaction and cognitive strategies.

Two studies demonstrated the causal role of relationship theories in influencing relationship satisfaction and the processes affecting satisfaction. In both studies, participants were induced to hold either the soulmate or work-it-out theory. Feelings that one's partner was ideal (or not) were associated with relationship satisfaction more strongly for people induced to hold the soulmate theory than the work-it-out theory (Study 1). In Study 2, participants' beliefs about their relationships were threatened, and strategies for responding to this threat were assessed. Inducing people to hold the soulmate theory resulted in more relationship-enhancing cognitions if participants believed they were with the right person but more relationship-detracting cognitions if participants did not believe they were with the right person. These polarizing tendencies were enhanced under threat. In contrast, inducing people to hold a work-it-out theory produced almost no biased processing, leading people to process information similarly, regardless of their feelings about their partner.