Abstract
This study analyzes a factorial survey, incorporating vignettes about student-to-student sexual harassment, completed by undergraduates at a small liberal arts college. As in previous studies, perceived seriousness levels for such incidents are shown to depend primarily on the perpetrator's behavior. However, perceived seriousness also depends strongly on the accounts offered by the perpetrator for his behavior and to a lesser extent on verbal reactions of the female victim. Furthermore, some types of accounts reduce the perceived seriousness of the behavior, while others increase it. Male and female respondents differ in their overall means, but do not differ significantly in the factors that influence perceived seriousness. Some implications of these results for the study of sexual harassment and of accounts are noted.
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We are grateful for the assistance of Kari Edwards, Kristin Hoffschmidt, James Howard, Susan Prout, Rita Rawson, Andrew Rutledge, John Williams, and Rebecca Wilson, who helped directly in this research effort; Sharon Hutchins, Kathryn Thurber, Anthony Weeks, and Paul Commins who offered useful advice; and Karen Groves, Faun Black, and Roger Lasley, who provided technical assistance. We would particularly like to thank two anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments. Any errors that remain are entirely our own.
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Hunter, C., McClelland, K. Honoring accounts for sexual harassment: A factorial survey analysis. Sex Roles 24, 725–752 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00288209
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00288209