Scales of rape myth acceptance (RMA) often yield low means and skewed distributions. This is proposed to be because of a change in rape-related beliefs toward more subtle content. Incorporating insights from racism and sexism research, a 30-item self-report scale measuring the acceptance of modern myths about sexual aggression (AMMSA) is presented. Across four studies (total N=1,279), the reliability and validity of parallel German and English versions of the AMMSA scale were examined. The results show that both language versions are highly reliable; compared with a traditional RMA scale, means of AMMSA scores are higher and their distributions more closely approximate normality. Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses provide evidence for the AMMSA scale's concurrent and predictive construct validity.

Research showing that rape myth acceptance (RMA) causally affects rape proclivity (RP) was extended by examining the impact of RMA-related norms on RP. Male students (total N = 264) received feedback about the alleged responses of other students to RMA items either before (Experiment 1) or after (Experiment 2) they reported their own RMA, and then their RP was assessed using acquaintance-rape scenarios. The level of RMA feedback was varied. Results showed that higher norms led to higher RP. In Experiment 1, this effect was mediated via self-reported RMA. Experiment 2 yielded main effects of both RMA feedback and self-reported RMA and an interaction effect showing that RMA feedback was particularly influential at higher levels of own RMA. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

This article discusses a recurrent connectionist network, simulating empirical phenomena usually explained by current dual-process approaches of attitudes, thereby focusing on the processing mechanisms that may underlie both central and peripheral routes of persuasion. Major findings in attitude formation and change involving both processing modes are reviewed and modeled from a connectionist perspective. We use an autoassociative network architecture with a linear activation update and the delta learning algorithm for adjusting the connection weights. The network is applied to well-known experiments involving deliberative attitude formation, as well as the use of heuristics of length, consensus, expertise, and mood. All these empirical phenomena are successfully reproduced in the simulations. Moreover, the proposed model is shown to be consistent with algebraic models of attitude formation (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975). The discussion centers on how the proposed network model may be used to unite and formalize current ideas and hypotheses on the processes underlying attitude acquisition and how it can be deployed to develop novel hypotheses in the attitude domain.

Heightened temporary accessibility of men's rape myth acceptance (RMA) increases the correlation between RMA and rape proclivity (RP), suggesting a causal impact of RMA on RP (G. Bohner et al., 1998). We additionally examined previous sexual coercion as an indicator of chronic accessibility of RMA. In Study 1 (N ¼ 107), the correlation between RMA and RP was higher: (a) if RMA was assessed before (versus after) RP; and (b) for men who had previously engaged in sexual coercion compared with men who had not. In Study 2 (N ¼ 148), sexually coercive men were faster answering RMA items than were noncoercive men. Taken together, these findings indicate that the temporary and chronic accessibility of RMA independently affect the RMA-RP link. Copyright # 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.The belief in rape myths is one prominent cause of sexual violence. Men's acceptance of such myths, which serve to deny, trivialize, or justify male sexual violence against women (Bohner, 1998;Burt, 1980), correlates positively with men's rape proclivity (e.g. Malamuth, 1981). Recent research revealed that rape myth acceptance (RMA) predicts judgments of victim blame and rape proclivity (RP) within the same sample of men (e.g. Abrams, Viki, Masser, & Bohner, 2003), suggesting that the justification of sexual violence may go hand in hand with a certain readiness to commit such violence.To examine the causal pathway underlying the correlation between RMA and RP, Bohner et al. (1998) manipulated the relative accessibility of each construct by asking men to complete an RMA scale either before or after completing an RP measure. They reasoned that a potential causal variable such as RMA can exert an effect on behavioral intentions only to the extent that it is cognitively accessible-the relationship between RMA and RP should thus be heightened if the causal variable is made accessible before assessing the variable that is causally affected (cf. Schwarz & Strack, 1981). Their results showed that the correlation of RMA and RP was significantly higher when participants completed the RMA scale first rather than last, indicating a causal impact of RMA on RP.

A refined computer paradigm for assessing sexual harassment is presented, validated, and used for testing substantive hypotheses. Male participants were given an opportunity to send sexist jokes to a computer‐simulated female chat partner. In Study 1 (N= 44), the harassment measure (number of sexist jokes sent) correlated positively with self‐reported harassment proclivity. Study 2 (N= 77) included a more elaborate cover story, variations of the female target's attitude (feminist vs. traditional) and physical attractiveness (low vs. high), and additional measures for construct validation. Results showed that harassment correlated positively with self‐reported harassment proclivity, hostile sexism, and male identity. Feminist targets were harassed more than traditional targets, whereas target attractiveness had no effect. Theoretical and applied implications are discussed.