Sexual Attitudes and Instructional Set Affect Estimates of Risk and Response Effectiveness

Authors: Yeater, Elizabeth; Viken, Richard; McFall, Richard; Wagner, Lindsey

Source: Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, Volume 28, Number 4, December 2006 , pp. 232-241(10)

Publisher: Springer

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Abstract:

Two hundred and eleven undergraduate men and women were assigned to different instructional set conditions and asked to rate (1) the sexual risk depicted in a set of written items describing problem situations undergraduate women might face when dating or interacting socially with men, and (2) the effectiveness of responses to these situations, described by a set of response codes. Results revealed that sexual attitudes and instructional set were the strongest predictors of both ratings. Gender did, however, predict risk ratings for stranger and authority figure situations, with women rating these situations as more risky than men. In addition, women assigned to the risk instructional set condition rated refusal responses as more effective in decreasing risk than did men in the same condition. In contrast, women assigned to the popularity instructional set condition rated the same refusal responses as less effective in increasing popularity than did men in that condition.

Keywords: response effectiveness; gender differences; sexual victimization; sexual attitudes

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10862-005-9018-1

Affiliations: 1: Email: eyeater@umn.edu

Publication date: 2006-12-01