DOES MEN'S RAPE PROCLIVITY INCREASE WHEN THE LIKELIHOOD OFDISCOVERY IS LOW? AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY

Rape is, and always has been, a devastating event for anyone who has been a victim. To minimize the occurrence of rape, it is important to understand the factors that motivate it. The present study aims to explore one potential motivating factor, which is when the rapist perceives an opportunity to rape, such as when the likelihood of discovery is low. To surreptitiously test if men’s rape proclivity increases when the likelihood of discover is low, participants completed an online survey that manipulated the likelihood of discovery in two hypothetical situations: being able stop time and being invisible.  Results showed that 64% of male participants reported some likelihood to rape in the stopping time scenario, and 65% of the men reported some likelihood to rape in the invisibility scenario. This study reveals a large percentage of participants indicating some likelihood to rape by attempting to assess rape proclivity indirectly.