Women's Erotic Rape Fantasies
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WOMEN’S EROTIC RAPE FANTASIES Jenny M. Bivona, B.A., M.S. Dissertation Prepared for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS August 2008 APPROVED: Joseph W. Critelli, Major Professor Charles A. Guarnaccia, Committee Member Amy R. Murrell, Committee Member Deborah Armintor, Committee Member Linda Marshall, Chair of the Department of Psychology Sandra L. Terrell, Dean of the Robert B. Toulouse School of Graduate Studies Bivona, Jenny M. Women’s erotic rape fantasies. Doctor of Philosophy (Psychology), August 2008, 209 pp., 9 tables, 4 figures, references, 91 titles. This study evaluated the rape fantasies of a female undergraduate sample (N = 355) using a sexual fantasy checklist, a sexual fantasy log, a rape fantasy scenario presentation, and measures of personality. Results indicated that 62% of women have had a rape fantasy. For these women, the median rape fantasy frequency was about four times per year, with 14% of participants reporting that they had rape fantasies at least once a week. Further, rape fantasies exist on a continuum between erotic and aversive, with 9% completely aversive, 45% completely erotic, and 46% both erotic and aversive. Women who are more erotophilic, open to fantasy, and higher in self-esteem tended to have more frequent and erotic rape fantasies than other women. The major theories that have been proposed to explain why women have rape fantasies were tested. Results indicated that sexual blame avoidance and ovulation theories were not supported. Openness to sexuality, sexual desirability, and sympathetic activation theories received partial support. Copyright 2008 by Jenny M. Bivona ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank the many people in my life who have helped me navigate this phase of my education. First, I would like to thank my dissertation chair, Joe Critelli, for the time, energy, and thought he gave generously throughout this process. I would also like to thank my family and friends who provided me with a constant source of strength and support. Thank you also to my research assistants who put many long hours into this project. Lastly, and most importantly, I would like to thank my husband, Rich. His support and encouragement made this project possible. It should also be acknowledged that some portions of this dissertation have recently been published in the Journal of Sex Research. The full references are as follows: Bivona, J.M., & Critelli, J.W. (in press). The nature of women’s rape fantasies: An analysis of prevalence, frequency, and contents. Journal of Sex Research. Critelli, J.W., & Bivona, J.M. (2008). Women’s erotic rape fantasies: An evaluation of theory and research. Journal of Sex Research, 45, 57-70. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...............................................................................................iii LIST OF TABLES............................................................................................................vi LIST OF FIGURES.........................................................................................................vii Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................... 1 Rape Fantasies The Content of Rape Fantasies The Prevalence of Women’s Rape Fantasies Current Explanations for Rape Fantasies Other Rape Fantasy Theories Research Question and Hypotheses 2. METHOD ................................................................................................. 33 Participants Procedures Measures 3. RESULTS ................................................................................................ 51 Descriptive Statistics Power Analyses Missing Data Outliers Wording of Rape Fantasy Items Research Question: What is the Typical Content of Women’s Rape Fantasies? Hypothesis 1: Test of the Rape Fantasy Continuum Hypothesis 2: Tests of Blame Avoidance Theory Hypothesis 3: Tests of Openness Theory Hypothesis 4: Tests of Hariton’s Descriptive Theory Hypothesis 5: Tests of Sympathetic Activation Theory iv Hypothesis 6: Tests of Desirability Theory Hypothesis 7: Tests of Ovulation Theory Predicting Rape Fantasy Outcomes Three Measurements of Rape Fantasy Coercive Non-rape Sexual Fantasy Content 4. DISCUSSION .......................................................................................... 97 Measurement Rape Fantasy Content Three Measurements of Rape Fantasy Testing of Theories Limitations and Suggestions for Future Research Summary and Conclusions APPENDICES ............................................................................................................. 170 REFERENCES............................................................................................................ 203 v LIST OF TABLES Page 1. Participant Demographic Characteristics.......................................................... 135 2. Sexual Fantasy Checklist ................................................................................. 137 3. Sexual Fantasy Checklist: Rape Fantasy Items ............................................... 148 4. Sexual Fantasy Log: Interrater Reliabilities for Coercive Non-rape Fantasies and Rape Fantasies ................................................................................................ 150 5. Sexual Fantasy Log: Interrater Reliabilities for Categories Applying Only to Rape Fantasies.......................................................................................................... 154 6. Descriptive Statistics for the Personality Variables........................................... 156 7. Content of Sexual Fantasy Logs for Coercive Non-rape Fantasies and Rape Fantasies.......................................................................................................... 157 8. Content of Sexual Fantasy Logs for Categories Applying Only to Rape Fantasies ......................................................................................................................... 161 9. Sexual Fantasy Items Most Highly Correlated with Frequency of Rape Fantasies ......................................................................................................................... 167 vi LIST OF FIGURES Page 1. Frequency of women’s rape fantasies .............................................................. 168 2. Rape fantasy log: Aversiveness ratings............................................................ 168 3. Rape fantasy log: Sexual arousal ratings ......................................................... 169 4. Women’s rape fantasies: The erotic-aversive continuum ................................. 169 vii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Sexual fantasies vary from brief thoughts or images to stories with detailed plotlines, and women who have the most sexual fantasies also report having the most active and satisfying sex lives (Leitenberg & Henning, 1995). For example, women with higher levels of sexual fantasy during masturbation are more aroused by erotic stimuli than are other women (Stock & Geer, 1982). In addition, sexual fantasies are recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-IV-TR as a key aspect of sexuality. A defining characteristic of hypoactive sexual desire disorder is “recurrently deficient (or absent) sexual fantasies” (American Psychiatric Association, 2000, p.541). Sex therapists often view sexual fantasies as healthy and encourage women to initiate their own sexual fantasies (Maltz & Boss, 2008). Sexual fantasies give women a context for actively exploring their sexuality in a manner that is relatively free from social consequence. In fantasy, there are limitless possibilities for what can be imagined, and because it takes place in the privacy of one’s own mind there is little reason for inhibition (Shulman & Horne, 2006). Further, fantasy allows for a submersion in one’s sexual interests, and it can demand an active stance toward one’s sexuality. Because the fantasy is made up or visualized, the fantasizer is put into a position to be aware of and to actively pursue her sexual interests. In addition, although psychology has emphasized overt behavior, the study of fantasy may provide unique contributions to understanding psychological phenomena. Ellis and Symons (1990), for example, have argued that, since sexual fantasies are relatively unconstrained by social consequences, they may reveal underlying 1 psychological processes, predispositions, and motives more clearly than does overt behavior. Rape Fantasies Within the realm of sexual fantasies, the area that has almost certainly posed the greatest conceptual challenge for researchers is that of “rape fantasies.” Women’s rape fantasies exist as a psychological enigma. As Hazen (1983) articulated, “It does not seem normal that a person should want to imagine rape. The true mystery is why anyone does” (p. 23). Although people often daydream about events that they don’t want to happen, rape fantasies differ in key respects. For example, one could fantasize an extra-marital affair. For some, an affair would be exciting and enjoyable, both as fantasy and as an actual sexual encounter, but they may not want to engage in actual infidelity because of negative consequences to the marital relationship. In contrast, rape would be avoided not only because of unpleasant consequences, such as pregnancy or disease, but, more importantly, because the experience of the rape itself would be abhorrent. Although people often fantasize about an unwanted event, such as a feared performance evaluation,