Validation of Rape Myth Acceptance Scale

Abstract

Burt (2) has shown that attitudinal, experiential, and demographic variables influence acceptance of myths about rape but assessment of reliability and validiry of the scale is necessary. Bun defines rape myths as stereotyped, prejudicial, or false beliefs about rape, victims, and rapists. Thus, scores on a scale of acceptance should correlate with dogmatism which refers to closed-minded inability to receive, evaluate, and act on relevant information on its own intrinsic merits (3). We predicted a negative correlation between scores for acceptance of rape myths and trustworthiness or the extent to which people are seen as moral, honest, and reliable (5) since many rape myths involve suspicion and negative attitudes toward victims of rape. Twenty-six college students completed the Burt scale, a dogmatism scale (4), and the Trustworthiness Scale from Wrightsman's (5) Philosophies of Human Nature Scale. The Pearson correlations validate the scale. Scores on the scale of rape myths significantly related to those on dogmatism (r = .51, p < .05) and were inversely correlated with those on Trustworthiness (r = --.46, p < .05). Although subjects' sex and grade did nor affect scores on dogmatism and trustworthiness, sex did influence acceptance of the myths (F1.3 = 9.46, # < .005). The 13 males (32.2) had a higher mean acceptance score than the 13 females (24.7), which confirms previous sex'differences in adherence to rape beliefs ( 1 ).