ATTRIBUTION OF FAULT TO RAPE VICTIMS

Abstract

Az experimental design, the impact of the marital status physical attractiveness, amount of victim resistance, and immediate reaction of the victim as well as sex of observer on attributions of fault to hypothetical rape victims were investigated. Participants were 440 undergraduate students at the University of Wycming. Each participant was given a_description of a rape scene that varied along the dimensions of the first four factors of the design, and was then asked to answer questions about the victim, including a question of the degree of fault attributable to her. Significant effects On fault attribution were found for all factors except for the physical attractiveness of the victim. Discussion of the findirgs Fointed to a discrepancy between legal and moral concepts of justice and distortions that occur in attribution processes. The discrepancy between legal requirements for conviction