Pham Anna T, Maimone Sacha, Hermann Chantal A, Nunes Kevin L
Department of Psychology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada
Department of Psychology, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Violence Vict. 2024 Mar 7;39(1):3-20. doi: 10.1891/VV-2021-0166.
Rape-related cognitions (typically defined as encompassing any number of cognitive constructs) are thought to play a role in sexual aggression. However, rape-related cognition scales often assess these cognitive constructs as one. The purpose of this study is to explore the factor structure of these measures using a sample of 191 community men. We found that items from the Rape Myth Acceptance, RAPE, and Illinois Rape Myth Acceptance (IRMA) scales formed one factor, which was significantly related to sexual aggression. We further found that four and six IRMA subscales were significantly related to past and likelihood of sexual aggression, respectively. Additionally, one IRMA subscale was independently related to past and likelihood of sexual aggression. The results are discussed in terms of implications and direction for future research.
