The Effect of Alcohol on the Responses of Sexually Coercive and Noncoercive Men to an Experimental Rape Analogue

Abstract

This study examined the impact of the psychological and pharmacological effects of alcohol on the ability of sexually coercive and noncoercive men to discriminate when a female wants a partner to stop sexual advances. In a 2 (alcohol vs. no alcohol) × 2 (expectancy vs. no expectancy) × 2 (sexually coercive vs. noncoercive status) randomized factorial design, male college students were exposed to an audiotape of a date rape. Participants who consumed, or expected to consume, alcohol took significantly longer to determine that the man should refrain from attempting further sexual contact. In addition, nonsexually coercive participants assigned to conditions in which they expected to consume alcohol responded similarly to their sexually coercive counterparts in their responses. The implications of these findings are discussed.