Sexual Consent Perceptions of a Fictional Vignette: A Latent Growth Curve Model

Abstract

Sexual consent can be conceptualized as a process of accumulating cues that build toward and continue throughout a consensual sexual encounter. How people perceive the cues of others during this process is an important aspect of consent. However, previous research has not investigated the trajectories of people’s consent perceptions throughout such a process. Using a novel staggered vignette protocol, we examined participants’ (N = 1218; 64.4% female) perceptions of fictional targets’ sexual consent at 11 time points. We tested latent growth curve models using multilevel structural equation modeling to examine trajectories in consent perceptions over the course of the vignette. We hypothesized that mean differences and rates of change would be associated with several constructs relevant to sexual consent. We found that initial consent perceptions and trends over the course of the vignette varied by whether the participant was a university student, by an alcohol manipulation in the vignette, by the fictional target’s sex, and by type of sexual behavior. Researchers should examine whether our findings on consent perceptions of a fictional vignette extend to people’s actual sexual encounters, including potential associations between the three primary aspects of sexual consent: perceptions, feelings, and communication.

Sexual Consent in Committed Relationships: A Dyadic Study

“…Perceptions necessarily play an important role in the process of communicating sexual consent between two or more people. Much of the previous research on sexual consent perceptions has asked people to interpret whether fictional characters are willing to engage in sexual activity (e.g., Humphreys, 2007 ; Willis & Jozkowski 2021 ). However, work on people’s perceptions of their actual partners’ sexual consent is limited.…”

“…In sum, sexual consent reflects an interpersonal process that is iterative and cyclical (Humphreys, 2004 ; Willis & Jozkowski, 2021 ; Muehlenhard et al., 2016 ). One person may begin by feeling willing to engage in a sexual behavior with another person, so they try to communicate their willingness to the other person in some manner and consequently look for indications that the other person is also willing.…”

“…Typically, one person initiates or requests a sexual behavior, and another person responds based on their willingness to take part in that sexual behavior (Muehlenhard et al., 2016 ). This process of sexual consent can be iterative, building toward and continuing throughout a consensual sexual encounter (Beres, 2014 ; Humphreys, 2004 ; Willis & Jozkowski, 2021 ). Given these interactive components, consensual sex cannot exist based on the sole willingness of one person.…”

Testing the Internal Consent Scale for Measurement Invariance Across Women and Men

“…Sexual consent is an ongoing and iterative process that builds toward and continues throughout a consensual sexual encounter (Beres, 2010;Muehlenhard et al, 2016;Willis & Jozkowski, 2022). Indeed, sexual consent is neither a static nor discrete experience-often varying from one sexual encounter to the next (Willis et al, 2021b).…”

El consentimiento de las relaciones sexuales. Un análisis de su significado y las variables implicadas

“…Los estudios sobre el consentimiento sexual han puesto de manifiesto que los hombres y las mujeres comunican las señales de manera diferente (JOZKOWSKI et al, 2017;WILLIS & JOZKOWSKI, 2021) sobre todo en la población joven o universitaria (MARCANTONIO et al, 2018) y en relación con la forma y el tipo de señales que se emiten y se perciben antes y durante el contacto sexual (Newstrom et al, 2021). Así, mientras que los hombres suelen ser más propensos a utilizar señales no verbales implícitas (indirectas) como los besos (JOHNSON & HOOVER, 2015;JOZKOWSKI et al, 2014), las mujeres tienden a utilizar señales de consentimiento verbal explícitas (p. ej.…”