Sexist Humor and Its Relationship to Males' Attitudes Toward Rape Jeanne Kanjorski Lygoming College Honors Project Fall & Spring 1993/1994Sexist Humor 1 Sexist Humor and Its Relationship to Males' Attitudes Toward Rape Jeanne Kanjorski Lycoming College Running head: SEXIST HUMORSexist Humor 2 Abstract This study explores the relationship between sexist humor and males! attitudes toward rape. It has been shown that sexually aggressive men are more likely to accept traditional sex roles, violence toward women, adversarial sexual beliefs, and rape myths than non-aggressive men (Muehlenhard & Linton, 1987). Moore, Griffith, and Payne (1987) have found that men's preference for sexist humor is connected to traditional views of women Approximately 111 males from Lycoming College were used as subjects in the present study. All of the subjects were at least 18 years old. These subjects were asked to complete the Rape Myth Acceptance Scale (Burt, 1980), a portion of the Attraction to Sexual Aggression Scale (Malamuth, 1989 A & B), the Sexual Experiences Scale (Koss, Gidycz, & Wisniewski, 1987) and the Acceptance of Sexual Humor Questionnaire. “The latter was adapted from a study of sex differences in college students' jokes (Johnson, 1991). Ten jokes were chosen for the questionnaire. The subjects were asked to indicate how funny they found each joke on a five point Likert scale. It was predicted that males who found sexist humor acceptable would have higher scores on both a rape myth acceptance scale and an attraction to sexual aggression scale than males who found sexist humor less acceptable. The results indicate that a significant relationship exists between the acceptance of sexist humor and the acceptance of rape myths.Sexist Humor 3 Sexist Humor and Its Relationship to Males! Attitudes Toward Rape Rape is one of the most prevalent crimes in today's society (Warshaw, 1988). According to Brownmiller (1975), rape is an exercise of power derived from an imbalance which exists between males and females in society. ‘The socialization of women has taught them that they may not express themselves forcefully, they must be quiet, they must be polite, and never make a scene. Due to this early socialization, women become targets for such acts of aggression as rape. In contrast, men have been socialized to be aggressive and physical in their interactions. In addition, a dangerous miscommunication can occur between men and women, Abbey (1982) found that men give a more sexual reading to behavior and conversation than women. Furthermore, many males may believe that women will say "no" when they mean "yes" (Sandberg, Jackson, & Petretic-Jackson 1987). This miscommunication in combination with the way males and females are socialized can lead to a lack of understanding between the sexes. It is this lack of understanding which seems to be at the root of acquaintance rape. The present study explores whether the enjoyment of sexist humor desensitizes males to the act of rape and its ramifications for the victim. Scully (1990) found that rape myth acceptance and stereotyping are two of the most powerful predictors of sexual aggression in men. Rape myth acceptance incorporates such falseSexist Humor 4 beliefs as the majority of rapes occur because the women were promiscuous or had a bad reputation. She goes on to say that rape myths and stereotypes are associated with acceptance of interpersonal violence and hostility toward women. In addition, Burt (1980) has found that "the higher the sex role stereotyping, adversarial sexual beliefs, and acceptance of interpersonal violence, the greater a respondent's acceptance of rape myths" (p. 217). Burt found that acceptance of interpersonal violence was the strongest predictor of rape myth acceptance. This study also showed that rape myth acceptance is further influenced by other strongly held beliefs (i.e., traditional values). These factors combine to create a dangerous and hostile belief system which supports male sexual aggression. Recent research has also shown that traditional views and attitudes about women (e.g., women should stay in the home) are connected to male sexual aggression. Muehlenhard and Linton (1987) found that sexually aggressive men were more likely than non-aggressive men to accept traditional sex roles, violence toward women, adversarial sexual beliefs, and rape myths. In addition, Peterson and Franzese (1987) found that sexually abusive men believed that women should stay out of politics and that a woman's place was in the home. These men also believed that women should make themselves attractive for men. Moreover it has been suggested that explanations for rape can be found in society's accepted sexual mores (Jackson, 1978). Jackson (1978)Sexist Humor 5 states that attributes of masculinity and femininity that evolve in early childhood are the motivational and interactional basis for rape. “Rape, then, is simply an extreme manifestation of our culturally accepted patterns of male-female relationships" (p. 37). Therefore, traditional views of women that are learned through cultural socialization may lead to male aggression in sexual relationships. Additional research has investigated the effect of pornography and fantasy on males! attitudes toward rape. Linz (1989) found that exposure to sexually explicit slasher films resulted in an increased acceptance of rape myths in men. In contrast, the exposure to nonviolent sexually explicit material resulted in fewer antisocial attitudes concerning rape Therefore, it appears as though the aggressive component of pornography and not the sexual component influences males attitudes toward rape. In addition, Greendlinger and Byrne (1987) found that males' sexual fantasies often include scenes of forced sex. They reported that 30% of the men surveyed fantasized about raping a woman and 18% fantasized about humiliating and beating a woman. Therefore, it appears as though the aggressive component of pornography and males’ fantasies influence their acceptance of rape myths. In 1975, Robin Lakoff's book, Lanquage and Woman's Place, discusses how language conveys society's power structure. Lakoff states that language socialization in young girls can lead toSexist Humor 6 disrespect from males in later life. Language can be used to demean and belittle women. Phrases such as “lady doctor" seem to indicate that a woman is less acceptable as a doctor than a man. Moreover, sex roles are reinforced by language and women are taught through language that they should act out a specific role in society. For example, the word "spinster" has a negative connotation for females, while the word “bachelor is a positive or complimentary term for males. Language socialization might hinder a woman from expressing herself as freely or forcefully as is necessary at times. Lakoff (1975) states that women's language has three cultural ramifications. The first is that language submerges the woman's personal identity. Secondly, it treats her as a sex object and not a human being. Thirdly, it denies her a means of expressing herself. ‘Thus, women are denied access to power because of their linguistic socialization. Lakoff also mentions that society is not sensitive to the use of sexist jokes. However, society is aware that ethnic jokes are rude and unacceptable. ‘Thus, society does not recognize the similarity between sexist and ethnic jokes. Sexist jokes are widely accepted by both males and females (Moore, Griffith, & Payne, 1987). Moreover, women are often considered humorless or stupid if they do not laugh at such jokes. As a result, Lakoff connects women's language socialization and society's acceptance of sexist humor to men's perception of womenSexist Humor 7 Lakoff was not the first person to write about humor and its effects on males' attitudes toward women. Freud examined humor and how it affected peoples' attitudes. Freud held that there were two types of jokes: non-tendentious or innocent jokes and tendentious jokes (Freud, 1905/1960). ‘endentious jokes included hostile and obscene jokes. The obscene joke serves as sexual exhibition and provides libidinal gratification for the joke teller (Freud, 1908/1955). According to Freud, the joke is used to achieve satisfaction of a desire which is blocked by an obstacle. This obstacle is the female's refusal to accept the joke teller's sexual offer. The joke teller initially uses the joke to convey his attraction to the woman. If the woman rebuffs the sexual advances, the joke teller uses the joke to gain satisfaction at her expense. Moreover, the joke upsets the joke teller's ability to use his critical thinking to evaluate the situation (Freud, 1905/1960). According to Freud, the joke teller is prone to establish illogical trains of thought concerning the situation so that the joke teller's perception of the woman's actions is distorted (Freud, 1908/1955). The essence of the tendentious joke is "...that of liberating pleasure by getting rid of inhibitions" (Freud, 1905/1960, p. 134). Tendentious jokes are usually told in the presence of a third person in order to expose the woman to additional shame and embarrassment (Freud, 1928/1959). The unconscious objective of the joke teller is to establish his superiority and to demean theSexist Humor 8 woman. The joke teller also hopes to gain an ally in the third person, thus subjecting the woman to a demeaning and belittling experience in the presence of another person. Freud held that, aggressive tendentious jokes succeed best when used by people in whose sexuality is demonstrable a powerful sadistic component which is more or less inhibited in real life (Freud, 1905/1960, p. 143), Thus, Freud believed that tendentious jokes provide a social release for the male and allow him to achieve the goal which was denied him by a woman's refusal. The jokes allow the male to aggress against the obstacle of his desire in order to receive pleasure. Past research on humor indicates that humor preferences are effected by a subject's emotional state. strickland (1959) has found that subjects placed in a hostile or sexually arousing condition preferred hostile and sexual humor. Furthermore, he found that the hostile condition restricted the subject's appreciation of general humor. Similarly, Dworkin and Efran (1967) have found that anger makes people less appreciative of humor in general. Anger compels people to respond selectively to hostile humor. In contrast, it has been found that humor can decrease feelings of anger and anxiety. Singer (1968) found that both hostile and neutral humor can reduce aggressive tension Therefore, a person's emotional state can predispose him/her to a particular type of humor. The humor then acts as an emotional release for the person, thus, reducing his/her emotional arousalSexist Humor 9 Coser (1960) has found that humor can create a group consensus by allowing the group to withdraw from the seriousness of a situation. Humor is seen as a permissible outlet for a group's aggression. The humor reduces the hostility and controls it while allowing the group to reduce their hostile feelings. Coser also states that humor tends to be directed at people who have no authority or power over the joke teller. In addition she states that it is socially unacceptable for women to tell jokes and express their aggressive tendencies. Therefore, humor allows the male to assert his dominance over the woman, while denying the seriousness of the situation. Recent research has found that males prefer sexual and aggressive jokes more than females. For example, Ziv and Gadish (1990) conducted an experiment to determine if adolescent boys would use more aggressive humor than adolescent girls. It was found that boys gave more aggressive responses than girls when instructed to use humor. Neuliep (1987) found that males perceive sexist jokes as funnier than females. He also found that both males and females perceive the male dominating the female joke as funnier than the female dominating the male joke He also found that the sex of the joke teller did not affect the perceived funniness of the joke Moore, Griffith, and Payne (1987) examined gender and attitudes toward women in relation to sexist humor. They found that males and females with less traditional views of women'sSexist Humor 10 roles showed a reduced preference for sexist humor. Therefore, a preference for sexist humor in men was connected to traditional views of women, In summation, the above studies seem to indicate that a relationship exists between males preference for aggressive and sexual jokes and traditional views of women. In related research, Love and Deckers (1989) examined the relationship between sexist content and the perceived funniness of a sexist joke. It was found that "women, more likely having been victims of sex discrimination, identified with the cartoon victims and thus found sexist cartoons less funny" (p. 649). They concluded that the enjoyment of sexist humor depends upon the hearer's identification with the aggressor. Thus, one's preference for sexist humor can be influenced by past experience. In addition, the study found that as the level of sexism increases, the level of funniness decreases for females. In contrast, as the level of sexism increases, the level of funniness also increases for males (Love & Deckers, 1989). In a recent study, Bill and Naus (1992) examined the role of humor in the interpretation of sexist incidents. This study found that an incident was less likely to be rated sexist if it was found to be humorous. If a person found the incident to be humorous, they were more likely to voice their acceptance of the situation. Gender was not a significant variable in the prediction of amount of humor in a sexist incident. However, sexist attitudes toward females were found to be associated withSexist Humor 11 perceptions of humor in sexist incidents. Past research shows men prefer more aggressive and sexist humor than women. It also shows that traditional attitudes and lack of empathy for the victim influence the desire for sexist humor. Moreover, humor can diffuse a situation and make it appear less sexist and more acceptable. In summation, previous research has shown that rape is a crime which can be connected to attitudes and beliefs about women. For example, Muehlenhard and Linton (1987) have shown that sexually aggressive men are more likely than non-aggressive men to accept traditional sex roles, violence toward women, adversarial sexual beliefs, and rape myths. Furthermore, traditional attitudes toward women can be related to language socialization and sexist humor (Lakoff, 1975). In addition Freud (1905/1960) has shown that obscene jokes serve as sexual exhibition and provide libidinal gratification for the joke teller. Moreover, research has shown that males prefer sexual and hostile humor more than females (Ziv & Gadish, 1990) and the preference for sexist humor is connected to traditional views of women (Moore, Griffith, & Payne, 1987), Therefore, it can be suggested that sexist attitudes and the acceptance of sexist humor is related to the desensitization of males to the issue of rape and its effect on women, The present study was designed to assess the relationship between the enjoyment of sexist humor and males! attitudes toward rape. It was hypothesized that men whoSexist Humor 12 enjoy sexist humor would be more likely to accept common rape myths than those who do not enjoy such humor.Sexist Humor 13 Methods Subjects The subjects were 111 males consisting of, 22 freshman, 20 football players, 57 biology students, and 12 criminal justice students, 18 years old or older, from Lycoming College. Twenty- one of the original 111 subjects were not included in the final analysis due to incomplete questionnaires. In addition, the study included a group of 26 female subjects for comparison purposes. Apparatus The study utilized the Rape Myth Acceptance Scale (Burt 1980), a portion of the Attraction to Aggression Scale (Malamuth, 1989 A & B), the Sexual Experiences Scale (Koss, Gidycz, & Wisniewski, 1987), and the Acceptance of Sexist Humor Questionnaire (see Appendices B, C, D, & E). The items in the Rape Myth Acceptance Scale were scored on a seven point Likert scale. A subject's response could range from a low score of 19 to a high score of 117. For the purpose of scoring the Likert scale was reversed. Thus, the higher a subject's score on the scale the greater his acceptance of rape myths. The items in the Attraction to Aggression Scale were scored on a five point Likert scale. For the purpose of the present study, only two of the 14 questions were examined: the likelihood of a male committing a rape and the likelihood that he would force a woman to do something sexual she didn't want to do. ASexist Humor 14 subject's score could range from a low score of two to a high score of ten. For the purpose of scoring the Likert scale was reversed, The higher a subject's score on the scale the greater his attraction to aggression The Sexual Experiences scale requires the subject to check either "yes" or "no" in response to ten questions. The subject's responses were coded as 1 for a "yes" response and 0 for any other response. For the purpose of the present study only questions including some aspect of physical force, threat of force, or the use of alcohol or drugs (Questions 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, & 10) were used. Thus, the higher a subject's score the more likely he was to have committed one of the coercive sexual acts. The Acceptance of Sexist Humor Questionnaire included ten jokes which were selected from a study on sex differences in the jokes that college students tell (Johnson, 1991). A sample of four pilot subjects was used to determine the ten jokes that would be used in the study, The pilot subjects rated the jokes as sexual, aggressive, sexist, or some combination of the three categories. All of the jokes used in the questionnaire were rated as sexist by the pilot subjects (see appendix E). All of the items in the Acceptance of Sexist Humor Questionnaire were scored on a five point Likert scale. A subject's score could range form a low score of 10 to a high score of 50. For the purpose of scoring the Likert scale was reversed and the higher the subject's score the greater his acceptance of sexist humorSexist Humor 15 Procedures All of the male subjects with the exception of the football players were tested in groups of 15 to 20. Except for the football players, each subject was given a test booklet and asked to read the instruction sheet on the front of the booklet (see Appendices A, B, C, D, & E). They were then told that the first questionnaire was a measure of humor and the remaining questionnaires were a measure of their attitudes and behavior The football players were mailed a test booklet and asked to complete it in confidence and return it by mail. All of the subjects were debriefed concerning the hypothesis and purpose of the experiment (see Appendix F), In addition, the subjects were given a fact sheet concerning rape and rape myths (see Appendix G). The subjects were thanked for their cooperation and participation in the experiment. The female subjects were surveyed to determine if their acceptance of rape myths and sexist humor was different from their male counterparts. The 26 female subjects were surveyed door to door in two of the residence halls. Each subject was asked to complete the Rape Myth Acceptance Scale (Burt, 1980) and the Acceptance of Sexist Humor Questionnaire. The subjects were given the questionnaires if they agreed to participate ana were told that the experimenter would collect the questionnaires the next day. The female subjects were debriefed and thanked for their participation in the stuay.Sexist Humor 16 Results MALE SUBJECTS Means and standard deviations for the four scales are displayed in table 1. Insert Table 1 About Here correlations were computed to determine if any significant relationship existed between the variables (see table 2). As predicted, the results yielded a positive correlation between sexist humor and rape myth acceptance (r=.3555, p<0.01). This indicates that as the subject's enjoyment of sexist humor increases so does his acceptance of rape myths. Sexist humor was also found to be significantly correlated with attraction to aggression (r=.2068, p=<0.05) and the likelihood of having committed a coercive sexual act (r=.2539, p=<0.05). Insert Table 2 About HereSexist Humor 17 FEMALE SUBJECTS The descriptive statistics for the females, displayed in table 3, indicate that the females enjoyed the sexist humor less than the men (t(133)=-5.08, p<0.001) and that they displayed less acceptance of rape myths then the men (t(127)=5.23, p<0.001). In addition, a correlation was computed to determine if the relationship between the acceptance of sexist humor and the acceptance of rape myths was significant (r=.3248, p>0.05). This correlation seems to indicate that a positive relationship exists yetween sexist humor and rape myth acceptance for females However, the correlation was not statistically significant. This was probably due to the low number of subjects ( Insert Table 3 About HereSexist Humor 18 Discussion As predicted, the results support the hypothesis which states that men who enjoy sexist humor will be more likely to accept common rape myths than men who do not enjoy sexist humor. Thus, the results of the present study are consistent with past research. The present study also found that enjoyment of sexist humor was associated with attraction to aggression and the use of coercive sexual behavior. In addition to the male subjects, a small sample of 26 women were tested to determine if acceptance of sexist humor and rape myths differed for men and women. The results seem to indicate that females expressed less enjoyment of sexist humor than males This finding is consistent with past research which has shown that males find sexist humor funnier than females (Neuliep, 1987). Also, Ziv and Gadish (1990) found that males prefer sexual and aggressive humor more than females. However, the results also indicated that a positive relationship exists between acceptance of sexist humor and acceptance of rape myths for females. This indicates that both women and men who accept sexist humor have a higher acceptance of rape myths then women and men who do not accept sexist humor. These results are very disturbing and indicate a dangerous pattern of beliefs and attitudes which seem to occur in both male and female college students. In light of these findings, future research may be needed to explore the presence of these attitudes and beliefs andSexist Humor 19 their implications for both men and women Sexist humor was also found to be associated with acceptance of aggression in college men. The present study asked male subjects if they would commit a rape or force a sex act on a woman if they were assured that they could in no way be punished The results indicate that acceptance of sexist humor is significantly related to the likelihood that a male would commit one of these acts. In addition, acceptance of sexist humor was significantly correlated with males’ coercive sexual activity in the past. Therefore, sexist humor may be one factor that may influence a male to commit an aggressive act against a female. However, this was not tested in the current study as our data are only correlated. The results of the present study also support the work of Sigmund Freud. Freud held that tendentious jokes provide a social release for the male and allow him to achieve the goal which was denied him by a woman's refusal. The joke allows the male to achieve sexual satisfaction by demeaning and belittling the woman. The joke provides the male with a sense of superiority over the woman. Thus, tendentious sexist jokes may support males! beliefs in rape myths by allowing the male to gain his personal satisfaction despite the woman's rejection The results suggest that enjoyment of sexist humor and acceptance of rape myths can lead to a dangerous belief system for males. The experimenter would suggest that these beliefs maySexist Humor 20 desensitize the male to the act of rape and its ramifications for the victim, Future research may explore in further detail the relationship between sexist humor and a male's likelihood to rape. Future research may also explore the relationship between the acceptance of ethnic humor and discrimination. Many individuals have assumed that acceptance of ethnic humor leads to disrespect. The results of the current study suggest that the enjoyment of ethnic and racial humor may be related to ethnic and racial discrimination. It is also interesting to speculate about other prejudices like ageism and homophobia. Do these belief systems lead to more disparaging or tendentious jokes and do such jokes lead to more discrimination? Thus, future research could focus on how acceptance of tendentious humor relates to prejudice attitudes toward many out groups.Sexist Humor 21 References Abbey, A. (1982). Sex differences in attributions for friendly behavior: Do males mispercieve females' friendliness? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 42, 830-838. Bill, B. & Naus, P. (1992). The role of humor in the interpretation of sexist incidents. Sex Roles, 27(11/12), 645-664. Brownmiller, S. (1975). Against our will. New York: Banton Books. Burt, M. R, (1980). Cultural myths and support for rape. Journa ersonali and_Sociai Psych + 38(2), 217-230. Coser, R. L. (1960). Laughter among colleagues. Psychiatry, 23, 81-95. Dworkin, E. S. & Efran, J. S. (1967). ‘The angered: Their susceptibility to varieties of humor. Journal of Personality an@ Social Psychology, 6(2), 233-236. Freud, S. (1955). The life and work of Sigmund Freud. New York: Basic Books. (Original work published 1908) Freud, Ss. (1959). standa: ition of the complete psychological works of Sigmund Freud (J. Strachey, ed). (vol. 5). London: Hogarth Press. (original work published 1928)Sexist Humor 22 Freud, S. (1960). The standard edition of the complete psychological works of Sigmund Freud (J. Strachey, ed). (vol. 8). London: Hogarth Press. (Original work published 1905) Greendlinger, V. & Byrne, D. (1987). Coercive sexual fantasies of college men as predictors of self-reported likelihood of rape and overt sexual aggression. The Journal of sex Research, 23(1), 1-11. Jackson, S. (1978). The social context of rape: Sexual scripts and motivation. Women's Studies International Quarterly, 2h, 27-38. Johnson, A. M. (1991). Sex differences in the jokes college students tell. Psychological Reports, 68(3), 851-854. Koss, M., Gidycz, C., & Wisniewski, N. (1987). The scope of rape: Incidence and prevalence of sexual aggression and victimization in a national sample of higher education students. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 55(2), 162-170. Lakoff, R. T. (1975). Language and woman's place. New Yor! Harper and Row. Linz, D. (1989). Exposure to sexually explicit materials and attitudes toward rape: A comparison of study results. The Journal of Sex Research, 26(1), 50-84.Sexist Humor 23 Love, A. M. & Deckers, L. H. (1989). Humor appreciation as a function of sexual aggression and sexual content. Sex Roles, 20(11/12), 649-654. Malamuth, N. M. (1989A). The attraction to sexual aggression scale: Part one. The Journal of Sex Research, 26(1), 26- 49, Malamuth, N. M. (1989B). The attraction to sexual aggression scale: Part two. The Journal of Sex Research, 26(3), 324-354. Moore, T. E., Griffith, K, & Payne, B. (1987). Gender, attitudes towards women, and the appreciation of sexist humor. Sex Roles, 16(9/10), 521-531. Muehlenhard, C. & Linton, M. (1987). Date rape and sexual aggression in dating situations: Incidence and risk factors Journal of Counseling Psychology, 34(2), 186-196. Neuliep, J. W. (1987). Gender differences in the perception of sexist and nonsexist humor. Journal of Social Behavior and Personality, 2(3), 354-351. Peterson, S. & Franzese, B. (1987). Correlates of college men's sexual abuse of women. Journal of College student Personnel, 28, 223-228.Sexist Humor 24 Sandberg, G., Jackson, T. L. & Petretic-Jackson, P. (1987). College students attitudes regarding sexual coercion and aggression: Developing educational and preventive strategies. Journal of College Student Personnel, 28, 302-311. Scully, D. (1990). Understanding sexual violence: A study of convi ists. Boston: Unwin Hyman. Singer, D. L. (1968). Aggression arousal, hostile humor, catharsis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, g(1), 1-14. Strickland, J. F. (1959). The effect of motivation arousal on humor preferences. Journal of Abnormal and Social thology, 59, 278-281. Warshaw, R. (1988). never called it rape. New York: Harper and Row. Ziv, A. & Gadish, 0. (1990). The disinhibiting effects of humor: Aggressive and affective responses. Humor, 3(3), 247-257.Sexist Humor 25 Table 1 Descriptive Statistics for Male Subjects Mean sD Humor 32.35 82 Rape Myth 44.41 1.44 Coercive Sex Act 0.06* 02 Would Aggress 2.73 -17 *6.7% of the male subjects indicated that they had committed a coercive sexual act in the past.Sexist Humor 26 Table 2 Correlations for Male Subjects (N=90 coercive Would Humor Rapemyth Sex Act aggress Humor 1.0000 Rapemyth +3555** 1.0000 Coercive Sex Act +2539% +5368%* 1,0000 Would Aggress +2068* +5952** 44678 1.0000 *p<0.05 *#eD<0.01Sexist Humor 27 Table 3 Descriptive Statistics for Female Subjects Mean sD Humor 22.85% 1.72 Rapemyth 29.65** 1.43 *possible scores range from 10 to 50 **possible scores range from 19 to 117Sexist Humor 28 Appendix A Instructions Please respond to all of the questions in a way that best represents your beliefs and experiences. Some of the questions are personal and of a sexual nature. All of the questions are confidential, please do not put any identifying marks on your test booklet and do not look at other participants responses. If for any reason you wish to withdraw from the experiment, please place a check on the line at the bottom of this page. If you are not 18 years of age or older place a check on the line below and do not complete the questionnaire. You can withdraw from the experiment at any time. ------- I wish to withdraw my results from the experimentSexist Humor 29 Appendix B Rape Myth Acceptance Scale 1. A woman who goes to the home or apartment of a man on their first date implies that she is willing to have sex. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 strongly agree somewhat neutral somewhat disagree strongly agree agree disagree disagree 2. Any female can get raped. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 strongly agree somewhat neutral somewhat disagree strongly agree agree disagree disagree 3. One reason that women falsely report a rape is that they frequently a need to call attention to themselves. 2 2 a 4 5 6 7 strongly agree somewhat neutral somewhat disagree strongly agree agree disagree disagree have 4. any healthy woman can successfully resist a rapist if she really wants to. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 strongly agree somewhat neutral somewhat disagree strongly agree agree disagree disagree 5. When wonen go around braless or wearing short skirts and tight tops, they are just asking for trouble. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 strongly agree somewhat neutral somewhat disagree strongly agree agree disagree disagree 6. In the majority of rapes, the victim is promiscuous or has a bad reputation. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 strongly agree somewhat neutral somewhat disagree strongly agree agree disagree disagreeSexist Humor 30 7. If a girl engages in necking or petting and she lets things get out of hand, it is her own fault if her partner forces sex on her. i 2 3 4 5 6 7 strongly agree somewhat neutral somewhat disagree strongly agree agree disagree disagree 8. Women who get raped while hitchhiking get what they deserve. 1 2 3 4 sg 6 7 strongly agree somewhat neutral somewhat disagree strongly agree agree disagree disagree 9. A woman who is stuck-up and thinks she is too good to talk to guys on the street deserves to be taught a lesson. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 strongly agree somewhat neutral somewhat disagree strongly agree agree disagree disagree 10. Many women have an unconscious wish to be raped, and may then unconsciously set up a situation in which they are likely to be attacked. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 strongly agree somewhat neutral somewhat disagree strongly agree agree disagree disagree 11. If a woman gets drunk at a party and has intercourse with a man she's just met there, she should be considered "fair game" to other males at the party who want to have sex with her too, whether she wants to or not. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 strongly agree somewhat neutral somewhat disagree strongly agree agree disagree disagree 12. What percentage of women who report a rape would you say are lying because they are angry and want to get back at the man they accuse? 1 2 3 4 5 almost all about 3/4 about half about 1/4 almost noneSexist Humor 31 13. What percentage of reported rapes would you guess were merely invented by women who discovered they were pregnant and wanted to protect their own reputations? 1 2 3 4 5 almost all about 3/4 about half about 1/4 almost none 14. A person comes to you and claims they were raped. How likely would you be to believe their statement if the person were your best friend? 1 2 3 4 5 always frequently sometimes rarely never an Indian woman? 1 2 3 4 5 always frequently sometimes rarely never a neighborhood woman? i 2 3 4 5 always frequently sometimes rarely never a young boy? 1 2 3 4 5 always frequently sometimes rarely never a black woman? 1 2 3 4 5 always frequently sonetimes rarely never a white woman? 1 2 3 4 Ss always frequently sometimes rarely neverSexist Humor 32 Appendix ¢ Attraction to Aggression Scale 1. If you could be assured that no one would know and that you could in no way be punished for engaging in the following acts, how likely, if at all, would you be to commit such acts? a. necking (deep kissing 1 2 3 4 5 very somewhat neutral, somewhat very likely likely unlikely unlikely b. petting 1 2 3 4 5 very somewhat neutral somewhat very likely likely unlikely unlikely c. oral sex 1 2 3 4 5 very somewhat neutral somewhat very likely likely unlikely unlikely d. heterosexual intercourse 1 2 3 4 5 very somewhat neutral somewhat very likely likely unlikely unlikely @. anal intercourse 1 2 3 4 5 very somewhat neutral somewhat very likely likely unlikely unlikely £, male homosexual acts 1 2 3 4 5 very somewhat neutral somewhat very Likely likely unlikely unlikely g. group sex 1 2 3 4 5 very somewhat neutral somewhat very likely likely unlikely unlikelyh. bondage (e.g., tying up self or sex partner 1 2 3 very somewhat. neutral likely likely i. whipping, spanking i 2 3 very somewhat neutral likely likely js rape 1 2 3 very somewhat neutral Likely likely 4 somewhat unlikely 4 somewhat unlikely 4 somewhat unlikely Sexist Humor 33 5 very unlikely 5 very unlikely 5 very unlikely k. forcing a female to do something sexual she didn't want to do 1 2 3 very somewhat neutral likely likely 1. transvestism (wearing clothes of opposite sex 1 2 3 very somewhat neutral likely likely m. pedophilia (sex with a child) 1 2 3 very somewhat neutral likely likely 4 somewhat unlikely 4 somewhat unlikely 4 somewhat unlikely 5 very unlikely 5 very unlikely 5 very unlikely34 SES Appendix D ‘All of the following questions refer to experiences you may have had with women. They refer to anything that may have happened from the age of 14 on. Piease answer the questions as honestly as you can. ‘Your answers will remain confidential and be only used for research purposes. Yes No 1. Has 2 woman given in to sex play (fondling, kissing, or petting, but not intercourse) when she didn’t want to because she was overwhelmed by your continual arguments and pressure? 2, Have you had sex play (fondling, kissing, or petting, but not intercourse) with a woman when she didn’t want to because you used your position of authority (boss, teacher, camp counselor, supervisor) to make her? 3. Have you had sex play (fondling, kissing, or petting, but not intercourse) with a woman when she didn’t want to because you threatened or used some degree of physical force (twisting her arm, holding her down, etc.) to make her? 4, Have you attempted sexual intercourse (got on top, attempted to insert your penis) when she didn’t want to by threatening or using some degree of force (owisting her arm, holding her down, etc.) but intercourse did not occur? 5, Have you attempted sexual intercourse (got on top, attempted to insert your penis) when she didn’t want to by giving her alcohol or drugs, but intercourse did not occur? 6. Has a woman given into sexual intercourse when she didn’t want to because she ‘was overwhelmed by your continual arguments and pressure? 7, Have you had sexual intercourse with a woman when she didn’t want to because you used your position of authority (boss, teacher, camp counselor, supervisor) to make her? 8. Have you had sexual intercourse with a woman when she didn’t want to because you gave her alcohol or drugs? 9. Have you had sexual intercourse with a woman when she didn’t want to because you threatened or used some degree of physical force (twisting her arm, holding her dowa, etc.) to make her? 10. Have you had sexual acts (anal or oral intercourse or penetration by objects other than the penis) with a woman when she didn’t want to because you threatened or used some degree of physical force (twisting her arm, holding her down, etc) to make her?Sexist Humor 35 Appendix E Acceptance of Sexual Humor Questionnaire 1. Why did the woman cross the road? Hey!! What's she doing out of the kitchen? 1 2 3 4 5 very somewhat neutral somewhat not funny funny unfunny funny 2. Why do girls have three holes? So you can carry them like a 6-pack 1 2 3 4 5 very somewhat neutral somewhat not funny funny unfunny funny 3. What do sorority girls do first thing in the morning? Walk Home. 1 2 3 4 5 very somewhat neutral somewhat not funny funny unfunny funny 4. Three women were granted one wish each by a genie. The first woman said, "I wish I was the smartest woman in the world." And POOF, it came to be. The second woman said, "I wish I was ten times smarter than the smartest woman in the world." And POOF, this too came to be. ‘The third woman said, "I wish I was twenty times smarter then the smartest woman in the world." ... And POOF, she was a man. 1 2 3 4 5 very somewhat neutral somewhat not funny funny unfunny funny 5. What's the difference between a bitch and a whore? A whore will screw anyone A bitch will screw anyone but you 1 2 3 4 Ss very somewhat neutral somewhat not funny funny unfunny funnySexist Humor 36 6. Why did Saddam Hussien kill his wife? He caught her drinking Bush and eating Quail. 1 2 3 4 5 very somewhat neutral somewhat not funny funny unfunny funny 7. Superman was flying around one day and he was really horny. "Well," he says, "I know that Wonder Woman is lying out there on the beach.” So he flew on down and, sure enough there was Wonder Woman, sprawled out naked on the beach. He took a flying leap and it was WHAM-BAM!!! Wonder Woman sat up and said, "What the hell was that?" ‘The Invisible Man said,... "I don't know, but he just reamed out my asshole!" 1 2 3 4 5 very somewhat neutral somewhat not funny funny unfunny funny 8. What's the difference between a woman and a light bulb? You can unscrew a light bulb. 1 2 3 4 5 very somewhat neutral somewhat not funny funny unfunny funny 9. A drunk yelled at a bartender, "Get me another drink and one for the douche bag at the end of the bar too.” The bartender, feeling sorry for the woman at the end of the bar, told the drunk not to address a lady in that way. But the drunk continued to yell and to call the woman a douche bag. Finally, the bartender gave up on getting the drunk to shut up and made him a drink and then walked toward the lady at the other end of the bar. Feeling embarrassed, he told the woman that she might as well take the drink from the asshole. The wonan paused for a moment and then said, "Very well then... bring me a vinegar and water please." 1 2 3 4 5 very somewhat neutral somewhat not funny funny unfunny, funny 10. What's the difference between like and love? Spit and swallow. 1 2 3 4 5 very somewhat neutral somewhat not funny funny unfunny funnySexist Humor 37 Appendix F Debriefing Statement I would like to thank you for your participation in this experiment. This experiment was developed to further past research concerning sexual humor and its effect on males and their attitudes toward women and rape. Past research has shown that males prefer sexual and hostile jokes more than females (Ziv & Gadish, 1990). In addition, it has been shown that a preference for sexist humor is connected to traditional views of women and rape myth acceptance (Moore, Griffith, & Payne, 1987). Moreover, traditional attitudes toward women, adversarial sexual beliefs, violence toward women, and acceptance of rape myths have been tied to sexual aggression in some men (Muehlenhard & Linton 1987), Therefore, it can be suggested that sexist attitudes, rape myth acceptance, and acceptance of sexist humor can lead to the desensitization of males to the issue of rape and its effects on women. This was tested in the current study. I hypothesized that males who found coercive sexual humor acceptable would have higher scores on both the rape myth acceptance scale and the attraction to aggression scale than males who found coercive sexual humor less acceptable. Thus, coercive sexual humor desensitizes males to the act of rape and its ramifications for the victim. Moreover, joking allows the male to justify his actions. It is an empirical question as to whether this will occur in the present data.Sexist Humor 38 Appendix G Facts About Rape MYTH only women can be raped Rape is committed by crazed strangers A woman who gets raped deserves it, especially if she agreed to go to the man's house or ride in his car Women who don't fight back haven't been raped If there's no gun or knife you haven't been raped It's not really rape if the victim isn't a virgin If a woman lets a man buy her dinner or pay for a movie or drinks, she owes him sex Agreeing to kiss or neck with a man means that a woman has agreed to have intercourse with him REALITY Data suggest that at least 10% of rape victims are male. Most women are raped by "normal" acquaintances No one, male or female, deserves to be raped. Being in a man's house or car does not mean a woman has agreed to have sex. You have been raped when you are forced to have Sex against your will, whether you fight back or not It's rape whether the rapist uses a weapon or his fist, verbal threats alcohol, physical isolation, her own diminished physical or mental state or the weight of his body Rape is rape, even if the woman isn't a virgin, even if she willingly had sex before No one owes sex as a payment to anyone else no matter how expensive the date Everyone has the right to say "no" to sexual activity, regardless of what has preceded it, and to have that "no" respectedMYTH When men are sexually aroused they need to have sex or they will get "blue balls.” Also once they get turned on men can't help themselves from forcing sex on a woman. Women lie about being raped, especially when they accuse their date or other acquaintances Rape has to do with sex and passion Women provoke rape by their behavior and dress Sexist Humor 39 REALITY Men don't physically need to have sex after becoming aroused any more than women do. Men are still able to control themselves even after becoming sexually excited. Rape really happens-to people you know, by men you know Rape is not about sexual desire but is a crime of violence expressed through sex No one asks to be raped. Women have a right to dress any way they wish. SOME FACTS ABOUT RAPE --For both men and women, the average age when a rape occurred was 18 1/2 years old. ~-About 75% of the men and at least 55% of the women involved in acquaintance rapes had been drinking or taking drugs just before the attack ~-0f the 3,187 female college students questioned: -15.3% had been raped -11.8% were victims of attempted rape -11.2% had experienced sexual coercion -14.5% had been touch ed sexually against their will --42% of the rape victims told no one about their assaults -only 5% reported their rapes to the police -only 5% sought help at rape crisis centers --In the year prior to the survey, 2,971 college men reported that they had committed: -187 rapes -157 attempted rapes -327 episodes of attempted rape -854 incidents of unwanted sexual contact Warshaw, R. (1988). I_never called it rape. New york Harper and Row.