LE3 .A278 2016

2016

Price, Lisa

Acadia University

Bachelor of Science

Honours

Applied Psychology

Psychology

Understanding predictors of male sexual coercion is important. Previous research has found that childhood maltreatment, hostility towards women, and attachment style can contribute to sexual coercion (Forsman, Johansson, Santtila, Sandnabba, & Långström, 2015; Gentzler & Kern, 2004). The current study examined attachment styles, hostility towards women, sexual coercion, and the moderating role of childhood maltreatment. One hundred and fourteen males participated in the current study. Hierarchical regressions examined whether the relationship between sexual coercion and the factors aforementioned were stronger in males who experienced higher levels of childhood maltreatment. While many of the hypotheses were not supported, post hoc analyses found that childhood physical neglect was a significant moderating variable in the relationship between anxious attachment style, hostility towards women and sexual coercion. Previous research has shown that individuals who experienced childhood neglect are more likely to physically force sexual ntercourse as adults, which may explain the significance of the present findings. This research is the first to examine childhood maltreatment, and its subtypes, as moderating variables between attachment style, hostility towards women and sexual coercion.

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https://scholar.acadiau.ca/islandora/object/theses:1410