Further Validation of a Laboratory Analog Sexual Aggression Task: Associations With Novel Risk Factors for Sexual Violence

Abstract

Official crime statistics and self-reports of sexual aggression perpetration are limited by various factors (e.g., lack of reporting, social desirability bias), as well as an inability to use these measures in experimental studies of sexual aggression. To address these issues, Nagayama Hall et al. (1994) developed a laboratory analog measure of sexual aggression, which has received empirical support as a valid measure of sexual aggression proclivity. Here, we seek to replicate these findings and further validate the paradigm by examining sexually aggressive responses in relation to a range of recently emerging predictors of sexual aggression (e.g., sexual objectification, sexual narcissism) as well as participants’ perceptions of a female confederate serving as the target of sexual aggression. A sample of 49 undergraduate men completed questionnaires and participated in the sexual aggression analog task. Results of logistic regression analyses supported both criterion and construct validity of the analog task; men who chose the sexually explicit video were more likely to report prior sexual aggression, greater sexual objectification of women, higher sexual narcissism, greater hostile sexism, and higher impersonal dating. These men were also more likely to express dehumanizing beliefs about the female confederate, consider her less intelligent, and believe she was more distressed by the video. These results replicate and extend prior research supporting this paradigm as a valid laboratory-based measure of sexual aggression proclivity that can be used in tandem with validated self-report measures.

The impact of college men’s sexual coercion perpetration on proclivity toward sexual assault and their cognitive and emotional reactions.

“…These findings confirm previous research supporting the role of the history of sexually aggressive behavior as a predictor of subsequent sexual assault perpetration (Gidycz et al, 2007;Zinzow & Thompson, 2015), suggesting that men's coercive behavior tends to repeat itself throughout relationships (Brousseau et al, 2012). Furthermore, the results are consistent with specific research about proclivity toward sexual aggression, demonstrating that previous sexual perpetration increases the perceived similarity with the man's behavior and the probability of engaging in sexual assault (Franz et al, 2018;Thomas & Gorzalka, 2012). In short, findings from previous studies and the current one enhance support for the sexual scripts and social learning theories, confirming that sexual coercion experiences could strengthen men's sexual scripts, which encourage male sexual experiences and reinforce their sexual behaviors (Brousseau et al, 2012).…”

“…First, a film clip was used to represent a situation of sexual assault; reactions men have to this fictitious situation could differ from their responses in real-life situations (Garrido-Macías et al, in press; Garrido-Macías, Valor-Segura, Krahé et al, 2020). However, because it is not possible to measure sexual assault involving non-consensual acts in the laboratory, we believe the visual scenario favors the increase of experimental realism and similar responses to real-life situations (Franz et al, 2018). Another possible limitation is that the finalization of the video with the woman asking the perpetrator not to make noise because her mother was downstairs could have altered participants’ perceptions of consent.…”

“…However, a lower number of studies have employed less direct self-report measures about the likelihood to perpetrate sexual assault, such as the acceptability of sexual aggression or the proclivity toward sexual aggression (e.g., Franz et al, 2018; Gracia et al, 2015; Thomas & Gorzalka, 2012). Regarding acceptability, research using samples of male offenders of intimate partner violence found that convicted batterers were more prone to show higher levels of acceptability of intimate partner violence against women than men from the general population (Gracia et al, 2015; Martín-Fernández et al, 2018).…”

“…Research specifically focused on proclivity to perpetrate has evidenced that men with a history of sexual aggression or coercion (vs. men without it) saw their own behavior as more similar to the man in a sexual assault situation (Loh et al, 2007; Thomas & Gorzalka, 2012). More recently, Franz et al (2018) conducted a study in which male students had to select one of two videos (one of them containing sexually explicit content) for a female to watch, showing a positive association between men’s self-reported history of engaging in sexual aggression toward women and proclivity toward sexual assault (higher probability to choose the sexually explicit video).…”

The development and psychometric evaluation of the Objectification Perpetration Scale.

“…Additionally, men’s objectification of their romantic partner (Doran & Price, 2014; Wright & Tokunaga, 2016; Zurbriggen et al, 2011) and women more generally (Sáez et al, 2019), diminishes men’s relationship satisfaction. Together, objectification perpetration and perceptions of women as less than human sets the foundation for violence; men who objectify women are more likely to hold positive attitudes toward violence against women (Wright & Tokunaga, 2016), perpetrate sexual aggression (Franz et al, 2018; Gervais et al, 2014; Mikorski & Szymanski, 2017; Sáez et al, 2019), use sexual coercion (Ramsey & Hoyt, 2015), and perpetrate intimate partner violence (Jonnson et al, 2018; Sáez et al, 2020). Despite these consequences, a comprehensive understanding of when and why men objectify women remains underdeveloped.…”