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Factors Associated with Rape-Supportive Attitudes: Sociodemographic Variables, Aggressive Personality, and Sexist Attitudes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 January 2013

Juan Carlos Sierra*
Affiliation:
Universidad de Granada (Spain)
Pablo Santos-Iglesias
Affiliation:
Universidad de Granada (Spain)
Ricardo Gutiérrez-Quintanilla
Affiliation:
Universidad Tecnológica (El Salvador)
María Paz Bermúdez
Affiliation:
Universidad de Granada (Spain)
Gualberto Buela-Casal
Affiliation:
Universidad de Granada (Spain)
*
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Juan Carlos Sierra. Facultad de Psicología. Universidad de Granada. 18071 Granada. (Spain). E-mail: jcsierra@ugr.es

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to determine the influence of various sociodemographic variables and estimate the impact of additional psychological factors (aggressive personality traits and the sexual double standard) on rape-supportive attitudes. A sample of 700 men and 800 women from El Salvador aged between 18 and 40 years completed the Social Desirability Scale, the Double Standard Scale, the Aggression Questionnaire, the State-Trait Anger Expression Inventory-2 and the Rape-Supportive Attitude Scale. Results show gender-based and age-based differences in rape-supportive attitudes, as well as an interaction between gender and age. They also highlight the importance of the sexual double standard and aggressive personality traits in explaining such attitudes.

Los objetivos de este estudio fueron determinar la influencia de ciertas variables sociodemográficas y estimar el impacto de una serie de factores psicológicos adicionales (rasgos de personalidad agresiva y doble moral sexual) sobre las actitudes favorables hacia la violación. Una muestra comprendida por 700 hombres y 800 mujeres de El Salvador, con edades comprendidas entre los 18 y los 40 años, completaron la Escala de Deseabilidad Social, Escala de Doble Moral, Cuestionario de Agresión, Inventario de Expresión de la Ira Estado-Rasgo 2 y la Escala de Actitudes Favorables hacia la Violación. Los resultados mostraron diferencias en las actitudes favorables hacia la violación en función de la edad y el sexo, así como una interacción entre el sexo y la edad. También muestran la importancia de la doble moral sexual y los rasgos de personalidad agresiva en la explicación de dichas actitudes.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

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