| Abstract: | This study tested men's perceptions of rape based on the belief that women use token resistance to sex—that they say "no" to sex when they really mean "yes." Participants were 131 male undergraduates who completed the Token Resistance to Sex scale and responded to evaluative statements regarding 1 of 3 scenarios: rape, consent, or ambiguous. Results supported the hypothesis that men with a weaker belief in token resistance would have stronger perceptions of rape when a woman said "no" to sex than when a woman said "yes," and that men with a stronger belief in token resistance would have weak perceptions of rape in both situations. These findings implicate miscommunication as a potential contributing factor in date rape. |
