Attachment Anxiety, Rape Myth Acceptance, and Sexual Compliance: A Replication and Extension
Date
2023-05
Authors
Price, Jon'Dasha
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Abstract
Unwanted sexual encounters include a broad spectrum of behaviors that may include sexual coercion and regretted sex to sexual assault and rape. While there has been a substantial amount of research investigating rape and perceptions of rape, few studies have investigated sexual compliance (engaging in sexual activity while not desiring it) and the
causes of sexual compliance. Brewer and Forrest-Redfern (2022) hypothesized that attachment anxiety (AA) and rape myth acceptance (RMA) influence perceptions of unwanted sex and influence individual experiences of sexual compliance. The researchers found women who scored high on the AA scale were less likely to endorse confrontation of an offender and were also more likely to report individual experiences of unwanted sex. However, their participant pool was restricted to women in heterosexual relationships. The present study replicates Brewer and Forrest-Redfern, and the participant pool is expanded to investigate how AA and RMA influence perceptions of unwanted sex and individual experiences of sexual compliance for men and non-heterosexual individuals. Regression models with statistical interaction terms for gender and sexual identity explore the relationship between AA and compliance and between RMA and compliance, and how it may differ across different gender and sexual identities. The implications of this study, its limitations, and directions for future research will be discussed.
Description
Keywords
rape myth acceptance, sexual compliance, attachment anxiety, sociology
Citation
Price, J. D. (2023). Attachment anxiety, rape myth acceptance, and sexual compliance: A replication and extension. Honors College, Texas State University.