Boer, Jan Harm (Ian) de (2025) Reactions to Stories of Sexual Harassment. Master thesis, Psychology.
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Abstract
Abstract: Sexual harassment (SH) is a pervasive issue that affects individuals of all genders. While male-on-female harassment is often the most recognized form, this focus tends to overshadow other gender combinations in both public perception and academic research. In this 2x2 experimental study (N = 342), participants were presented with a verbal SH scenario, where the genders of both the perpetrator and victim were randomly varied (either female or male). Participants then reported their reactions, specifically focusing on three key measures: empathy for the victim, agency attributed to the victim, and the level of punishment deemed appropriate for the perpetrator. Results revealed a significant main effect of victim gender, with participants expressing greater empathy for female victims compared to male victims. Participants also endorsed harsher punishment for male perpetrators, and perpetrators who harassed female victims. However, agency attributed to the victim did not significantly differ across conditions, and interaction effects between victim and perpetrator gender were nonsignificant. These findings highlight gender biases in reactions to SH, particularly in terms of empathy and punishment, and suggest that future research should explore more complex reaction patterns and employ designs that enhance the realism of scenarios. Keywords: Sexual Harassment; Verbal Harassment; Gender effects; Empathy; Agency; Punishment
| Item Type: | Thesis (Master) |
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| Supervisor name: | Borinca, I. |
| Degree programme: | Psychology |
| Differentiation route: | Applied Social Psychology (ASP) [Master Psychology] |
| Date Deposited: | 06 May 2025 10:33 |
| Last Modified: | 06 May 2025 10:33 |
| URI: | http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/4872 |
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