Abstract
This research examined reactions towards female rape victims from a system justification perspective. Study 1 demonstrated
that gender-related system justification motivation (Modern Sexism) predicted the propensity to blame a female rape victim
among men, but not among women. Modern sexism predicted rape victim blaming among men even when statistically controlling
for a general antipathy towards women, and the results were unaffected by social desirability concerns. Consistent with previous
study on system justification theory, we demonstrated in Study 2 that system justification motivation can predict victim blaming
also among women, provided that complementary stereotypes about women have been activated. By contrast, system justification
motivation predicted men’s propensity to blame a rape victim irrespective of whether complementary stereotypes about women
had been experimentally activated.
that gender-related system justification motivation (Modern Sexism) predicted the propensity to blame a female rape victim
among men, but not among women. Modern sexism predicted rape victim blaming among men even when statistically controlling
for a general antipathy towards women, and the results were unaffected by social desirability concerns. Consistent with previous
study on system justification theory, we demonstrated in Study 2 that system justification motivation can predict victim blaming
also among women, provided that complementary stereotypes about women have been activated. By contrast, system justification
motivation predicted men’s propensity to blame a rape victim irrespective of whether complementary stereotypes about women
had been experimentally activated.
- Content Type Journal Article
- DOI 10.1007/s11211-010-0117-0
- Authors
- Tomas Ståhl, Section for Social and Organizational Psychology, Institute for Psychological Research, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9555, 2300 RB Leiden, The Netherlands
- Daniel Eek, Göteborg University, Göteborg, Sweden
- Ali Kazemi, University of Skövde, Skövde, Sweden
- Journal Social Justice Research
- Online ISSN 1573-6725
- Print ISSN 0885-7466