Document Type
Undergraduate Thesis
Publication Date
Spring 5-1-2023
Journal
Undergraduate Honours Theses
Abstract
Previous research has found evidence that psychological androgyny—possessing high levels of both masculine and feminine characteristics—is related to fewer sexist beliefs in children (Pauletti et al., 2017). However, this is yet to be examined in an older cohort. Given that sexist beliefs are related to higher endorsement of rape myths (Johnson & Johnson, 2021), the purpose of the current study is to examine whether psychological androgyny is related to lower endorsement of rape myths in a sample of emerging adults. The sample included 83 undergraduate students (ages ranged from 18 to 37) recruited from Huron University College in London, Ontario. Participants completed an online survey in which measures for gender role category, rape myth acceptance, self-esteem, peer conformity, and peer pressure were administered. An analysis of covariance revealed that rape myth acceptance differed significantly by gender role category when controlling for self-esteem, peer conformity, and peer pressure. Further comparisons indicated that the androgynous and undifferentiated groups displayed significantly lower scores than the masculine-typed group. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Notes
Thesis Advisor(s): Dr. Glen Gorman