Rape Myth Acceptance is Lower and Predicts Harsher Evaluations of Rape Among Impacted People

Abstract: Public reactions to rape are often distorted by the acceptance of so-called rape myths. The goal of our research was to examine how rape myth acceptance (RMA) is connected to the evaluation of rape cases among survivors, unimpacted people, and those impacted by rape through a close relation, who can potentially be important allies of survivors in bringing about social change. We tested these connections in three online survey studies. In Study 1 (N = 758) we found that those impacted by rape personally or through a close relation accepted rape myths less. In Study 2, using a nationally representative sample in Hungary (N = 1007), we tested whether RMA predicted uncertain rape cases more strongly than certain (i.e., stereotypical) ones, considering that a stereotypical rape scenario is condemned by most members of society, but not all rape is labeled as such. We found that RMA predicted the evaluation of both rape scenarios, but the prediction was stronger when rape was uncertain. I.... https://spb.psychopen.eu/index.php/spb/article/view/3897

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Rape Myth Acceptance is Lower and Predicts Harsher Evaluations of Rape Among Impacted People ; volume:16 ; number:4 ; day:14 ; month:03 ; year:2022 ; Social psychological bulletin ; 16, Heft 4 (14.03.2022)

Contributors, Places and Time

• Creator: Nyúl, Boglárka ; Nariman, Hadi Sam ; Szabó, Mónika ; Ferenczy, Dávid ; Kende, Anna

Further information

• DOI: 10.32872/spb.3897
• URN: urn:nbn:de:101:1-2022051405092225585276
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 15.08.2025, 7:25 AM CEST