The impact of sex-role and religious attitudes upon forced marital intercourse norms

A mail survey of Texas residents indicated that norms against forced marital intercourse (FMI) were negatively associated with traditional sex-role attitudes and Judeo-Christian religiosity, but not related to identification with conservative religious denominations. Traditional sex-role attitudes were positively associated with both religious variables. These relationships support literature claiming that the perceived severity of FMI has been mitigated by a traditional patriarchal society and ideology and also support, to a lesser extent, literature suggesting that this patriarchy has been furthered by Judeo-Christian religions.