The effect of rape type and information admissibility on perceptions of rape victims

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to assess whether the judgmental effects of inadmissible evidence would vary as a function of type of rape. Subjects (predominantly Caucasian) read rape scenarios that depicted either an acquaintance rape or a stranger rape, which contained information implying that the victim had a promiscuous sexual history. In one condition, subjects were instructed to disregard this information (inadmissible condition), while in the other condition, subjects received no such instructions (admissible condition). The results indicated that (1) males perceived that there was a higher probability of victim enjoyment than females, (2) perceptions of those in the admissible condition were less favorable than those in the inadmissible condition, and (3) perceptions of those in the acquaintance rape conditions were less favorable than those in the stranger rape condition. The results also indicated that perceptions of the probability of victim enjoyment did not vary as a function of type of rape when the information was admissible. On the other hand, when the information was inadmissible, perceptions of the probability of victim enjoyment in the acquaintance rape conditions were higher than those in the stranger rape condition. The possible basis of these findings are discussed.