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Kulibert D, Reidt I, O'Brien L. Is That Really Sexual Harassment? The Effect of a Victim's Sexual Orientation on How People View a Sexual Harassment Claim. JOURNAL OF HOMOSEXUALITY 2024:1-25. [PMID: 38231211 DOI: 10.1080/00918369.2024.2302428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2024]
Abstract
In four experiments and a meta-analysis, the present research examined how the sexual orientation of a victim affected the perceived legitimacy of sexual harassment claims. Working from prototype theory, the researchers hypothesized that because lesbian women deviate from the prototype of a sexual harassment victim, people would be less likely to perceive sexual harassment claims as legitimate when the victim was a lesbian woman as compared to a heterosexual woman. Although Experiment 1 yielded results congruent with the hypothesis, Experiment 2 and Experiment 3 did not. A meta-analysis conducted to assess effects of sexual orientation across all studies was not significant (g = -.06, z = -1.20, p = .23). The impact of victim prototypicality on perceptions of sexual harassment claims is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danica Kulibert
- Department of Psychological Science, Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, Georgia, USA
| | - India Reidt
- Departmenrt of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
| | - Laurie O'Brien
- Departmenrt of Psychology, Tulane University, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA
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2
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Lou Y, Wang T, Li H, Hu TY, Xie X. Blame others but hurt yourself: blaming or sympathetic attitudes toward victims of COVID-19 and how it alters one's health status. Psychol Health 2023:1-22. [PMID: 37861187 DOI: 10.1080/08870446.2023.2269400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study explored the relationship between blame/sympathy and blamer's/sympathizer's perceived health status. DESIGN We recruited participants via an online survey platform. Study 1 was a cross-sectional study using data (N = 3304, Mage = 28.22, SDage = 7.92, and 39.3% female) collected from 30 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions of China on February 3, 2020. Study 2 used the daily diary method collecting data from February 4 to 9, 2020. Sample (N = 2456, Mage = 28.49, SDage = 7.49, and 39.4% were female) was obtained by inviting participants in Study 1 on the same platform. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Self-reported health status and life satisfaction. RESULTS In Study 1, blame was negatively associated with perceived health status, while sympathy was positively associated with it. Negative emotions and risk perception are the underlying mechanisms, but neither of them has effects on the relationship between sympathy and perceived health status. Study 2 replicated these results using multilevel analysis. CONCLUSION The results highlight the importance of people's attitudes on perceived health status. While sympathy is positively related to perceived health status, blaming has a negative association with perceived health status. Negative emotions and risk perceptions are the underlying mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Lou
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Tianhong Wang
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Haihong Li
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education (Beijing Normal University), Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Tian-Yi Hu
- College of Education, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaofei Xie
- School of Psychological and Cognitive Sciences and Beijing Key Laboratory of Behavior and Mental Health, Peking University, Beijing, China
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3
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Hill E, Moreland G, Boduszek D, Debowska A. Attribution of Blame in an Intimate Partner Violence Situation: The Effect of Victim Sexuality and Observer Sex. JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE 2023; 38:8500-8523. [PMID: 36916056 DOI: 10.1177/08862605231157444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Intimate partner violence (IPV) is an extensive public health concern, largely affecting women aged 20 to 24 years. Research suggests that bisexual women are more likely than heterosexual and homosexual women to be victims of IPV. Bisexual women are also more likely to be blamed for their abuse experiences after disclosing, a phenomenon known as victim blame attribution (VBA). However, very little VBA research recognizes bisexuality as a separate category. Therefore, the main aim of this quasi-experimental study was to investigate the role of female victim sexuality (bisexuality, homosexuality, and heterosexuality) and observer sex in the attribution of blame to the victim and perpetrator of IPV. Participants (N = 232; aged 18-24 years, M = 21.05, SD = 1.73) were randomly assigned into one of four conditions (heterosexual victim, bisexual victim with same-sex partner, bisexual victim with different-sex partner, homosexual victim), each containing a vignette portraying IPV within a relationship. Randomization checks were performed to ensure that participants in the four conditions did not differ significantly on underlying attitudes (institutional heterosexism (IH), aversive heterosexism (AH), heterosexual privilege (HP), sexist attitudes, just world beliefs) that may have affected their responses on outcome measures. Main analyses demonstrated that bisexual victims with a same-sex partner received the highest attribution of blame, whereas perpetrators in this condition received the lowest blame attribution. Male participants attributed significantly higher blame to victims than did female participants, regardless of victim sexuality. These findings substantiate the role of victim sexuality and observer sex in IPV blame attribution patterns. This research aimed to promote equality and rightful treatment to all victims of IPV regardless of their sexuality.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Daniel Boduszek
- SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw, Poland
- University of Huddersfield, UK
| | - Agata Debowska
- The University of Sheffield, UK
- SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Warsaw, Poland
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4
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Johnston T, Seinfeld S, Gonzalez-Liencres C, Barnes N, Slater M, Sanchez-Vives MV. Virtual reality for the rehabilitation and prevention of intimate partner violence - From brain to behavior: A narrative review. Front Psychol 2023; 13:788608. [PMID: 37342425 PMCID: PMC10278571 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.788608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Rehabilitation and prevention strategies to reduce intimate partner violence (IPV) have limited effectiveness in terms of improving key risk factors and reducing occurrence. Accumulated experimental evidence demonstrates that virtual embodiment, which results in the illusion of owning a virtual body, has a large impact on people's emotional, cognitive, and behavioral responses. This narrative review discusses work that has investigated how embodied perspective - taking in virtual reality has been used as a tool to reduce bias, to enhance recognition of the emotional state of another, and to reduce violent behaviors, in particular in the realm of IPV. Some of the potential neurological mechanisms behind these affective and behavioral changes are also discussed. The process of rehabilitation and prevention is complex and not always effective, but the integration of neuroscience-inspired and validated state-of-the-art technology into the rehabilitation process can make a positive contribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tania Johnston
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Event Lab, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sofia Seinfeld
- Image Processing and Multimedia Technology Center, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya-Barcelona Tech, Terrassa, Spain
| | | | - Nicolas Barnes
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Departament de Justícia, Generalitat de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Mel Slater
- Event Lab, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Maria V. Sanchez-Vives
- Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Event Lab, Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
- ICREA, Barcelona, Spain
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5
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Rodríguez-Pérez A, Betancor V. Infrahumanization: a restrospective on 20 years of empirical research. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2023.101258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
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6
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Snow MD, Brubacher SP, Malloy LC, Luther K. Perceptions of Allegations of Repeated Victimization: The Roles of Event Frequency, Language Specificity, and Disclosure Delay. JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE 2023; 38:4925-4944. [PMID: 36068949 PMCID: PMC9900688 DOI: 10.1177/08862605221120903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Although many forms of victimization are repeated (e.g., domestic violence), we know relatively little about the perceived credibility of adult claimants who allege repeated maltreatment. We examined the effects of Event Frequency (Single vs. Repeated), Language Specificity (Episodic vs. Generic), and Disclosure Delay (Immediate vs. Delayed) on laypersons' perceptions of claimant credibility. Participants (N = 649) read a mock interview transcript and provided subjective ratings (e.g., credibility, likelihood of suspect guilt, claimant responsibility). When the alleged abuse occurred a single time (vs. repeatedly), participants rated the interviewee as less blameworthy but no more (or less) credible. Exploratory findings indicated that female participants viewed the interviewee as more credible and less responsible than did male participants.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sonja P. Brubacher
- Centre for Investigative Interviewing,
Griffith Criminology Institute, Griffith University, Australia
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Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: Consequences and Perceived Self-Efficacy in Women and Men Witnesses and Non-Witnesses. Behav Sci (Basel) 2022; 12:bs12090326. [PMID: 36135130 PMCID: PMC9495880 DOI: 10.3390/bs12090326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2022] [Revised: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite the numerous advances made in Italy over the years in the study of sexual harassment in the workplace (SHW), research has focused exclusively on victims, perpetrators, and their relationships, and not on the consequences that the experience of sexual harassment can produce in witnesses. The present study aims to address this gap by examining how the indirect experience of SHW, in conjunction with variables such as gender, age, self-efficacy, and coping strategies, affects the mental health status of witnesses of SHW. A sample of 724 employees completed a questionnaire that included a modified version of the Sexual Experience Questionnaire (SEQ), the Oldenburg Burnout Inventory (OLBI), the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ), the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS), and the Emotional Self-Efficacy Scale (RESE). Of the group, 321 participants reported witnessing sexual harassment in the workplace (28.2% of women and 16.2% of men). Results show that witnesses were younger than participants who described themselves as non-witnesses. Results also show that women and men who were witnesses were more likely to suffer the emotional and psychological consequences of the experience than non-witnesses. In addition, female witnesses expressed more positive emotions than men, which enabled them to manage their anxiety and emotional states when triggered in response to sexual harassment in the workplace. Finally, a significant association was found between perceptions of mental health and age, gender, experience with SHW, and self-efficacy strategies. The findings underscore the importance of sexual harassment intervention in the workplace, women and men who witness sexual harassment suffer vicarious experiences, psychological impact, exhaustion, disengagement, and negative feelings.
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8
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Dvir M, Nagar M. Would victims blame victims? Effects of ostracism, sexual objectification, and empathy on victim blaming. Front Psychol 2022; 13:912698. [PMID: 35978770 PMCID: PMC9376598 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.912698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the current research, we examined whether ostracism and sexual objectification affect the tendency to blame the victim of sexual harassment. Previous research concerning victim blame examined the attribution of blame considering the characteristics of the victim, the perpetrator, and the relation between them. However, no research to date examined whether situational factors of the perceiver can affect their perception and judgment of blame. We propose that sexual objectification and ostracism may elicit empathy toward the victim, and in turn, reduce victim blame. In two experimental studies, women were instructed to imagine interacting with a videotaped man who either gazed at their body (objectification), away from them (ostracism), or at their face (treated well). Then, they were asked to read a newspaper article (study 1) or watch a video (study 2) portraying encounters in which the man's sexual advances continued after the woman expressed discomfort and lack of interest. In study 1, we found that sexually objectified women attributed less blame to the woman compared with the women who were treated well, with ostracized women falling in between and marginally different from both. In study 2, using mediation analysis we found an indirect effect such that sexually objectified women experienced greater empathy toward the victim, which was associated with reduced attribution of blame. It appears that greater similarity between the situation of the perceiver and the situation of the victim elicits greater empathy. This adds to the previous knowledge that personality similarities result in higher empathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maayan Dvir
- The Center for Psychobiological Research, Department of Psychology, Max Stern Yezreel Valley College, Yezreel Valley, Israel
- *Correspondence: Maayan Dvir
| | - Maayan Nagar
- School of Criminology, Faculty of Law, Haifa University, Haifa, Israel
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9
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Blame of Rape Victims and Perpetrators in China: The Role of Gender, Rape Myth Acceptance, and Situational Factors. SEX ROLES 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11199-022-01309-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
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10
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Lisnek JA, Wilkins CL, Wilson ME, Ekstrom PD. Backlash against the #MeToo movement: How women’s voice causes men to feel victimized. GROUP PROCESSES & INTERGROUP RELATIONS 2022. [DOI: 10.1177/13684302211035437] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Three studies examined whether perceived increase in women’s “voice” (i.e., being heard and taken seriously about sexual assault) contributes to perceptions of bias against men. In Study 1, both men and women who perceived women to have a greater voice related to sexual assault, perceived greater victimization of men. This relationship was stronger for relatively conservative participants. In Study 2, relatively conservative (but not relatively liberal) participants who read about #MeToo perceived greater men’s victimization than those in the control condition. Study 3 examined responses to perceiving that men are victimized by #MeToo. For relatively conservative (but not liberal) men, perceptions of men’s victimhood led to less willingness to work alone with a woman and less willingness to combat sexual assault (relative to a control condition). Thus, while the #MeToo movement brings awareness of issues of sexual assault, it also generates a backlash among the more conservative, and may accentuate gender disparities.
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11
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Drążkowski D, Ganclerz M. Social perception of sexual harassment in informal relations. CURRENT ISSUES IN PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY 2022; 10:227-233. [PMID: 38013820 PMCID: PMC10653555 DOI: 10.5114/cipp.2021.110026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Perception of sexual harassment in informal relations is a largely uninvestigated topic. This study aimed to bridge this gap by examining the effect of the type of relationship between the perpetrator and the victim on the perception of harassment. Furthermore, we considered potential factors moderating the tested relationships: acceptance of gender stereotypes and sex. PARTICIPANTS AND PROCEDURE In total, 369 participants were assigned to one of three conditions including a female victim and a male perpetrator who was either her neighbor, coworker, or supervisor. RESULTS The participants assessed the harasser to be responsible. The supervisor's behavior was considered more punishable than that of the colleague or neighbor. The male participants reported that the perpetrator was less deserving of punishment than female participants. Conclusions The findings suggest that social norms regarding sexual harassment in formal and informal relationships are similar, excluding harassment by supervisors, which was rated as most punishable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dariusz Drążkowski
- Faculty of Psychology and Cognitive Science, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland
| | - Monika Ganclerz
- Faculty of Psychology and Cognitive Science, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland
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12
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Women and #MeToo in Italy: Internalized sexualization is associated with tolerance of sexual harassment and negative views of the #MeToo movement. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-021-01350-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
AbstractAs a consequence of exposure to sexualized messages, girls and women may internalize the belief that sexual attractiveness to men is an important aspect of their identity. Whereas research on internalized sexualization has mainly focused on its consequences for girls’ well-being and academic outcomes, the present study (N = 222, women, aged 20 to 29) examined whether internalized sexualization is related to sexist attitudes and tolerance of sexual harassment among young women. It also analyzed internalized sexualization’ links to women’s views of notorious sexual abuse allegations in the so-called Weinstein scandal and attitudes towards the #MeToo movement, a campaign aimed at combatting sexual harassment and sexual assault. The study was conducted in Italy, a context characterized by pervasive sexualized messages and diffuse criticism against the #MeToo movement. The findings showed that internalized sexualization was associated with stronger endorsement of sexist attitudes and higher acceptance of sexual harassment myths, which worked as sequential mediators of skepticism towards sexual abuse allegations in the Weinstein scandals. Endorsement of sexist attitudes mediated the relation between internalized sexualization and negative attitudes towards the #MeToo movement. This study extends the knowledge on the correlates of sexualization, suggesting that women’s internalization of the belief that they should be sexually attractive to men might contribute to reinforce ideologies and attitudes that perpetrate women’s mistreatment while diminishing support for social activism on women’s behalf.
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