Attributions of blame in sexual harassment incidents : an honors thesis (HONRS 499)

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Authors
Gaither, Marci L.
Advisor
Balogh, Deborah W.
Issue Date
1994
Keyword
Degree
Thesis (B.?.)
Department
Honors College
Other Identifiers
Abstract

Perceptions of culpability in situations in which a male professor engages in sexual harassment of a female student were studied. Specifically, the influence of subject gender, latency of reporting, and severity of harassment on subjects' perceptions of sexual harassment was studied. Introductory psychology students (186 females, 106 males) read one of twelve vingettes and then completed a two-part questionnaire on their perceptions of the situation portrayed in the vignette. A 2 X 3 x 4 between-subjects factorial analysis was performed. As hypothesized, subject gender and severity of harassment significantly affected perceptions of sexual harassment. Females viewed the incidents more negatively than did males. Subjects viewed harassment incidents of greater severity more negatively than those incidents of less severity. Latency of reporting did not appear to affect subjects' perceptions of sexual harassment.