Date of Award

12-2024

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Dominic Parrott

Second Advisor

Kevin Swartout

Third Advisor

Sarah Gervais

Abstract

The present study examined the independent and interactive effects of social norms and sexual assault (SA) perpetration history on men's bystander intervention. Using virtual reality, 176 male participants were randomly assigned to one of three social norm conditions: ambiguous, misogynistic, or prosocial, and were presented with sexual risk scenes. Participants provided self-reports of their SA perpetration history and their VR behaviors were subsequently coded. We hypothesized that exposure to prosocial norms would increase bystander intervention (Hypothesis 1), men without an SA perpetration history would intervene more frequently (Hypothesis 2), and an interaction effect would exist between social norms and SA perpetration history (Hypotheses 3a and 3b). Findings indicated no significant effect of social norms on bystander behavior. Unexpectedly, men with an SA perpetration history performed more interventions than those without such a history. No significant interaction was observed between social norms and SA history.

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