Sexually Aggressive Men's Responses to a Date Rape Analogue: Alcohol as a Disinhibiting Cue

Journal of Sex Research, Nov, 1998 by Jeffrey A. Bernat, Karen S. Calhoun, Stephanie Stolp

Note. (W) denotes the woman's dialogue on the tape; (M) denotes man's dialogue on the tape.

Response Measures

Decision latency was recorded as the amount of time lapse between the start of the audio tape and the pressing by participants of a computer key that signaled when the man depicted on the audio tape should refrain from making further sexual advances (cf. Bernat et al., in press; Marx & Gross, 1995). Latencies were recorded in seconds by a reaction-time program on an IBM-compatible microcomputer activated by the pressing of the key. The audio tape and reaction timer was activated simultaneously by an experimenter who was removed from the participant by a dividing wall. Bernat, Stolp, Calhoun, and Adams (1997) have presented data supporting the reliability and validity of this measure.

Ratings of Woman's Communication

After listening to the entire date rape sequence, participants completed a post-experimental questionnaire assessing their ratings of the woman's communication during the sexual encounter. Participants were asked "how honest was the woman in expressing her true feelings about having sex?" (honesty), "how much did the woman really want to have sex with the man?" (desire to have sex), and "how much do you believe the woman acted the way most women would act in this situation?" (typicality). Respective items were anchored on a 7-point Likert scale from 1 (Acted nothing like most women, completely dishonest, and not at all) to 7 (Acted completely like most women, completely honest, and completely wanted sex).

Procedure

Participants signed an informed consent form and completed self-report measures in a large group format. Approximately one to two weeks later, participants were contacted by telephone and asked if they would like to participate in the experimental portion of the study. They were told the study involved listening to an audiotape and making decisions about a sexual interaction, and that they would receive research participation credit. Relatively few (n = 15) declined to participate.

Informed consent was obtained from participants on arrival. They were accompanied to a separate cubicle (located behind a dividing wall that separated the experimenter from the participant) and seated at a desk that contained the keyboard and headphones. Participants were provided with written instructions like those used by Marx and Gross (1995), indicating they would be listening to an audio tape of a sexual interaction between two college students who had just returned to the man's apartment after a date. The couple was described as having been on five dates prior to this occasion but never having had sex. Depending on the condition to which they were randomly assigned, participants were instructed:

Alcohol Condition: On their date, Jenny and Dan went out to the movies and then out drinking. They had several drinks and reported feeling pretty "buzzed."

No Alcohol Condition: On their date, Jenny and Dan went out to dinner and the movies.

Participants were then given the following instructions: